


Beyond The Gate

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Gen, Lot of family feels, Multi-universe, Original Character(s), Psychological Trauma, Slow Burn, Song fic, but its not the main focus, eventual pairing, the songs are mostly just section separators
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-12-04 20:32:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 75,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11562813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: The Battle of Dragons does not go as planned, and a careless action of Natsu's results in Future Rogue's escape through the Eclipse Gate. Now Lucy and Rogue must travel beyond the gates of time to hunt down their monster. But Lucy can barely look at her companion, scarred by Future Lucy's death, and there are monsters far worse than Future Rogue beyond the gate.





	1. To The Gate

_**I Don't Need A Second Chance** **  
** **I Need A Friend** _  
_**Someone Who's Gonna Stand By Me**_  
__**Right There Till The End**

_**-3LAU feat. Bright Lights "How You Love Me"** _

* * *

Roars of dragons tore the sky apart, the vibrations echoing amongst the buildings that remained standing. The structures quivered as the sound shuddered around their corners, distorting the pitch and length into something far more terrifying than the original. Bright flickering flames scorched the edifices of the city, their serpentine path unaffected by the immutable stone.; all melted and burned in the face of dragon flames.

The sanguine moon stained the world red, and blotted out the stars' more cheery light. Despite the early hour, nothing remained hidden under the crimson gaze. Every battle scar outlined in sharp relief, the wounds of war yet bled scarlet over the earth.

A young, once pretty blonde woman lurked behind one of the few standing corners of a building she could no longer identify the function of. Her clothes were stained with soot – torn and tattered and barely covering what they were meant to (not that they hadn't been rather revealing in the first place). Her lungs were clogged with smog, any oxygen pulled into them superheated to the point where she thought she might spout fire like the beasts that battled around her. Ash fell from her hair with every intake of breath only for more to drift from above to alight upon and then embed within it.

Oddly, what concerned her most about her situation was the fact that the dirt and blood caked all over her exposed skin had started to itch something fierce.

Never mind the monstrous children of Mother Glare that stalked nearby – a number exponentially growing by minute. There was nothing she could really do to fight them anyway, being out of magic and physical willpower. What she needed was a bath. Preferably before she scratched herself out of what little skin she still possessed that was not yet marred by burns, scrapes, and sores. She also needed to locate a toilet. Natural bodily functions did not seem to care about whether or not one was trying to save the world. She bit her lip and suppressed a groan of frustration. She'd be damned if she allowed herself to be killed with her pants literally down (not that she was wearing pants, per se, but it was more the sentiment of the thing).

Honestly, the only spot of luck she seemed to be having was that the fanged things that leapt amongst the rubble appeared to be attracted to magic. Something she didn't possess much of right now.

She glanced up as a gargantuan shadow passed overhead.

' _Mother Glare,'_  she observed. And, upon the dragon's back, she could faintly make out the true enemy. An individual worse than the seven dragons he had called forth from the gate combined. He was locked in combat with her best friend, for the second time (or was it the third? Fourth? She didn't know anymore).

Gulping back greasy, hot ash laced with air, she heaved herself forward again. "Natsu," she half-sobbed (if only there was moisture left for real tears). Jaw set, her gaze and gait became more determined. She would reach the gate. She had to. Before the sun rose, and the moon returned to its previous state. Before the lunar eclipse ended. Before they lost their opportunity to send the dragons back to where they came from.

Natsu could handle Future Rogue. She had complete faith in her best friend. He'd never failed her, their team, their guild, or anyone, really, when it had mattered most. This qualified as one of those situations, she felt. In fact, it was  _the_ situation as far as she was concerned. There was no question that Natsu would come through in the end; her part, however, wasn't as certain.

Stumbling over one of the many boulders that littered her path, she sprawled out on the other side. It took her a moment or three to compose herself. Exhaustion was prompting her to rest, if only for a short while. Gritting her teeth and biting back dirt, she raised her head up.

Suddenly, she felt new energy surge through her veins as she glimpsed her destination. The Eclipse Gate! She could see it! It wasn't much further now.

She was almost there.

Then the world exploded around her.

* * *

_**So, Just Lend Me Your Hand  
And I'll Give You Someone To Hold Onto** _

_**-3LAU feat. Bright Lights "How You Love Me"** _

* * *

When the debris had settled, and the dust cloud lifted somewhat, the blonde was faced with several tons of scaly  _dragon_  between her and her destination. She recognized the fallen beast as Mother Glare.

This was just a little too much for her to handle right now.

" _Really_ , Natsu?! You couldn't have crash landed the dragon  _anywhere other_  than  _right on top of me_?!" she snapped, irritation providing her the extra boost she needed to stand up again.

A salmon-haired youth threw an unresponsive, large, clawed limb off of his body. Now free of the pinning weight of the monster, he rose to his feet and looked for his friend. "Sorry, Lucy!" he quickly apologized. He even sounded sincere. "I'll aim better next time!"

"You were trying to aim?! How, exactly?!" Lucy growled. "More importantly, what do you mean by 'aim better' in the first place? Were you  _trying_  to hit me? What if I hadn't been able to dodge in time?! Don't be so reckless!"

"Maybe if you lost some weight, you might be able to dodge better! Cut down on wind resistance!" the Fire Dragon Slayer suggested helpfully.

Lucy's eye twitched at the insult. The boy was just asking for a swift kick to the head (it wasn't as if he could possibly lose any more brain cells to begin with, and it would make  _her_  feel a lot better. His head was so dense he probably wouldn't even register that he'd been hit, anyway).

Natsu cupped his hands to his mouth. "Lucy!" he yelled. "Duck!"

Without hesitation, Lucy hit the deck as only a member of Fairy Tail could. A scorching heat passed overhead, where she'd been standing a moment earlier – close enough to singe a few errant strands of her blonde locks. Jagged stones dug into her stomach, but she held perfectly still until the temperature above her was survivable. Waves of heat rolled against her tender skin, settling in the already present burns and reigniting the pain with new vigor. But burns and pain were nothing new to Lucy – her best friend was a pyromaniac who possessed very little self-control after all.

Groaning, she pulled herself up again. Was it just her, or was falling on her face becoming a common occurrence?

She glanced over her shoulder to see what projectile she'd dodged this time, only to find a mass of pure, living flame attempting to extricate itself from the side of a building across the courtyard. Her eyes widened as she realized that it was one of the other dragons.

The creature swiveled it's flame-clad, skeletal head until it appeared to be looking at her. Then, to her astonishment, it laughed at its predicament. "I appear to be stuck, Son of Igneel!"

What was there to be stuck to? The dragon had no mass. It was a burning skeleton!

A pink-topped head tilted to the side as its owner regarded the fire dragon. "You do seem a bit on the heavy side, Uncle. Do you need me to eat your flames again? That'll help you lose weight! Too bad that won't work for Lucy, though."

This time, she gave in to temptation and threw a rock at the Dragon Slayer's face.

"Ow! What was that for, Lucy?!" He was holding his nose to stem the bloodflow caused by the rock.

"I am not fat!" she screamed. The boy shrugged, as if it were still open for debate.

"Please don't eat my flames!" the dragon interjected when Natsu took a menacing step in its direction. Upon seeing that the Dragon Slayer had no intention of listening to it, it struggled mightily against the collapsing steel beams of the ruined structure that trapped its skeletal form. Finally freeing itself, it turned to Lucy, who yelped at the attention.

"Nice dodge earlier," it complimented her.

She smiled nervously at it, not sure what exactly was going on anymore. "Thanks," she replied. ' _Why is the dragon nicer and more polite than my best friend?'_  Swallowing, she asked, "So, I don't mean to be rude, but… are you on our side, now?"

"Yup!" Natsu answered for the dragon, giving her a thumbs up and his trademark grin. "We're friends now!"

The dragon repeated the gesture.

Lucy felt sweat slide down the back of her neck. ' _Only Natsu. Why does this not actually surprise me?'_  Then she giggled somewhat hysterically at the odd situation, because she didn't know what else to do, really. Ingrained etiquette lessons took control as she introduced herself, "It's nice to meet you, and I'm glad you're an ally. My name is Lucy."

"I am Atlas Flame," the dragon roared proudly.

Movement beyond Mother Glare's unconscious body caught Lucy's attention. "Natsu! Look out!" she warned, just as a magical attack of jet and moonstone energy erupted towards her friend.

Her warning came in the nick of time, as Natsu dove out of the way. "That was a cheap shot!" he complained to his adversary.

Snarling, Future Rogue stood. His face was contorted into a mask of sheer rage. At some point during the fighting he'd lost whatever was tying his two-toned hair back – probably at the same time he'd acquired the several scorch marks his clothing was sporting (courtesy of Natsu). "How?!" he growled. "How did you break my dragon-controlling spell?!"

"Because we became friends," Natsu explained as if he were talking to a particularly dim toddler.

The rival Slayer and would-be-king's face twisted even more. His pale, gaping scar that bridged his nose stretched further across his face. Leaping over the inert dragon with an inarticulate, animalistic scream he attacked Natsu.

Clambering over debris, Lucy returned to her trek while Natsu returned to his own battle. She had to reach the gate while Future Rogue was distracted. She choked back tears of frustration and pain as, unbidden, the image of Future Lucy's sacrifice not a few hours ago surfaced in the forefront of her mind. Edging her way around Mother Glare, she hurried her pace as the dragon groaned and stirred, returning to consciousness once more.

Atlas Flame took the opportunity to leap over her and pounce on the recovering dragon. Both Mother Glare and Lucy yelped at the unexpected action.

A voice far behind her caused her to turn slightly to view the speaker. A white-blond, spiky haired Dragon Slayer was shading his eyes some distance away, watching Natsu's battle. "Rogue! Look! It really is you he's fighting! Nice hair choice and tattoo, by the way. Is that all the rage in seven years?"

Lucy quickly spun away before Sting's companion came into view. She knew he was on their side but… she also couldn't get the image of his future self murdering her future self out of her mind. Shaking herself, she fixed her gaze once more on her goal.

"That's not me!" The Shadow Dragon Slayer's normally monotonic voice was strained with anger and pain. "That's not my future!"

The rest of the conversation was lost as the two dragons the pair had been fighting crashed through the rubble to reach them.

' _Why are all the dragons suddenly converging here?!'_  Lucy internally yelled at the unfairness of it all. Her muscles in her legs twitched.  _'No,'_ she thought.  _'Just a little further.'_  Unheedful of her wish, her lower limbs finally buckled and gave out as her temporary adrenaline rush faded. The blonde woman's vision swam with darkness and bright sunbursts.

An arm encircled her shoulders, and placed Lucy's around theirs'. Then the unknown ally lifted her back to her feet. Lucy tried to open her eyes to see her helper, but she couldn't make anything out.

"Blondie," a woman's voice said softly, right next to her ear. "Where to?"

"F-Flare?" Lucy groaned, recognizing the former Raven Tail member's voice. "Wh-Why are you…s-still here?" Even in her groggy mind, she knew that Flare Corona was supposed to have departed the area days ago.

"I stayed to watch the finale, and root for your team," the red haired woman explained, hauling an almost limp Lucy with her over the punishing terrain. "I heard…" here she paused in her speech, to lift her companion over a fallen column. "I heard the Eternal Flame's voice, and rushed over here. Now I am repaying my debt to you."

' _Eternal Flame?'_  Lucy remembered Flare mentioning it during their match, but she wasn't sure what her former adversary meant by it. She shook her head, her vision beginning to clear. It didn't really matter right now. "T-the gate. Take me to the gate."

Perplexed by the request, Flare changed their course slightly.

As if sensing her rescuer's confusion, Lucy said, "One of my spirits, Crux, told me I need to destroy it before the moon returns to normal. The out-of-control magic should collapse upon itself and drag those who don't belong in this time back to their own. But if the magic should drain away with the crimson light…" she trailed off, panting.

"Our hopes of forcing the dragons back through fade as well," Flare finished, understanding. "I'm sorry, but we'll need to quicken our pace. Dawn isn't too far off anymore."

Had that much time truly passed since the battle's inception?

That was when Lucy noticed the deep bruises that mottled Flare's once pale skin. Much like Lucy, the woman was covered in scratches – some deeper than others. Blood still seeped out of a couple, and the resulting tang in the air almost made the blonde retch.

A deep sense of guilt settled over Lucy. Her struggle to reach the gate wasn't the only battle being waged. There were the Dragon Slayers, of course. But there were also her precious guildmates and teammates, and all of the other guilds who had chosen to remain behind to protect the City of Flowers. She desperately hoped they were all alive and well, even Twilight Ogre and Sabertooth. A single death would crush her, she knew.

Flare stumbled, and the two women both fell onto the courtyard's flagstones. "How," gasped Flare, "how are we going to destroy the gate?"

"I have no idea," Lucy admitted. "But it won't matter unless we reach it first."

The other woman arose before Lucy, and offered her a hand up. Taking it, the blonde felt stronger than she had before. The magic of friendship, although not officially recognized by the Magic Council, was a powerful thing and it revitalized her fighting spirit.

She clung to Flare's arms tightly as the ground shook, and her newfound friend did the same. Once the tremors had subsided, they looped their arms over each other's shoulders once more. Step by painful step, they approached the Eclipse Gate's controls. Lucy knew they were her best shot at destroying the monstrosity before her born of Zeref's dark arts and Celestial Magic. If she and Yukino could close the gate from there, maybe it could tear it apart, too. It was, in the end, a device of human creation.

If Fairy Tail mages were good at one thing, it was wanton property destruction. It was their single unifying talent and they excelled at it. (And if what Mavis had said was any indication, the guild had been that way since its birth.)

Funny, normally she tried to keep her friends' destructive proclivities to a minimum and yet here she was, banking on her own innate predilection for it.

' _Oh, Irony. Thou art truly fond Fairy Tail, aren't you?'_

Flare and Lucy had finally made it to the controls. Glancing around, Lucy didn't see Princess Hisui anywhere. Pity. Her knowledge of the machine would have come in handy. But then…

She eyed the contraption critically.

Good thing Chaos doesn't require a handbook.

Releasing Flare, she warned, "You'd better step back for a moment." Once her friend was safely out of the way, she unleased her patented Lucy Kick on a metal panel. It dented and sparked, but otherwise nothing much happened.

"Can I help?" the red head inquired, a gleam in her eye reminiscent of her time in Raven Tail. Her mouth threatened to curl upward in the demented smile she'd first shown Lucy.

Lucy shrugged. "Have at it. The more the merrier!" She slammed her heel against the same panel as before and it caved in. "Be careful not use magic, though. This thing is designed to absorb it." Or it was supposed to. It hadn't absorbed her magic or Yukino's when they'd shut it, now that she thought of it. Maybe it couldn't absorb any more because it was full?

Should they risk using magic against it?

She pursed her lips and concluded,  _'It might still be too risky to use magic directly against it. I don't think Flare's fire or my Celestial Spirits would be able to do much damage to the main structure. We could do some major damage to the controls – no, still too risky. With the gate's magic so out of control thanks to the blood moon, there's no telling what would happen if we added more energy into the maelstrom.'_  Shuddering, she realized that it might even drag them along the timestream with the dragons and Future Rogue if they did that.

The other woman nodded, accepting Lucy's earlier reasoning, and wound her way to the other side of the device to attack it there.

After several minutes of heaping abuse after abuse upon the device, Lucy stopped, panting and exhausted again. Other than a few marks and some hopeful sparks nothing had changed in its appearance or function as far as she could tell. Her companion didn't seem to be having much luck, either if the frustrated sounds Flare was making were anything to go by.

Time just kept ticking, moving forward into the inevitable conclusion. There wasn't enough to go around (which, she realized, was the reason Future Rogue had made the journey to their timeline in the first place). In the distance, she heard the screams of Mother Glare's children as they fell to the mages protecting Crocus. She could only hope that her comrades would hold out for just a little longer – the long night was drawing to a close. One way or another, she knew it would all end soon.

Looking around, Lucy spotted one of the many broken flagstones that littered the courtyard. This one wasn't too far away, and one of the smaller chunks might be liftable. Making her way towards it, she stumbled (yet again) on the uneven surface. At least this time she managed to regain her balance before toppling over, although it was small consolation.

She reached for a decent sized piece of the rock, struggling to heft the thing. It weighed far more than she'd anticipated. She shouldn't have this much trouble with such a simple task as lifting a stone, she knew. It only drove home the fact that she was pretty much superfluous in this battle. She wasn't a Dragon Slayer, so she couldn't take on the dragons. She wasn't like Erza, or Gray, able to fend off multitudes of monsters to protect the path of retreat for the citizens. Even Happy was out there providing winged support somewhere.

The only thing she'd been able to do was watch as another version of herself sacrificed her life to stop a madman's plan from becoming reality. Along with Yukino, she'd succeeding in closing the Eclipse Gate but that was all she'd amounted to. She couldn't even find Yukino, to see if the other Celestial Mage was still alive or not.

She couldn't even destroy the stupid gate because she was unable to lift a stupid rock!

Dropping the object, she looked for a smaller one. Despite her failings and abundant weaknesses, she was still a mage of Fairy Tail, damn it! And the members of Fairy Tail never gave up! So she ignored the whisperings in the back of her mind; the doubts and fears she felt were allowed to wash over her though she would not allow them to drag her down to the bottom to drown.

 _She was Fairy Tail_.

It was enough.

Her prize in hand, it suddenly became easier to haul back to the controls. Flare paused in what she was doing to observe Lucy's progress towards her. Stepping back, the flame haired woman indicated where she thought Lucy should strike with her new weapon. "Right here, Blondie! There are lots of little pieces."

Lucy possessed but a basic grasp of mechanics (her expertise lay more with astronomy, to be honest). However, she agreed with Flare's assessment. Little fiddly bits and pieces were usually more delicate than the rest of a machine's parts, and more vital to its operation.

Flare reached for the stone, and she helped Lucy lift it as high as they could reach. Then, with all of their remaining strength, they smashed it down upon the machinery. With their combined muscles and the aid of gravity, they were rewarded with sparks flying every which direction. The contraption shuddered violently, prompting Flare and Lucy to beat a hasty retreat to a safe distance as the whole thing groaned.

A high pitched whine settled into the air – keening notes just on the side of human hearing. Undulating across the city, the unearthly, dissonant wail composed a song of desolation and despair. It grated on Lucy's nerves and made her entire body tingle unpleasantly. Something deep inside her soul quailed at the noise.

But that was nothing compared to what the sound was doing to the Dragon Slayers and dragons.

Future Rogue and Natsu's fight had, while Lucy wasn't paying attention, drifted much closer to the raised platform she stood near. With the onslaught of the sound, the two had dropped to their knees, covering their ears with their hands and howling in unison with pain.

Above, dragons roared and screeched in agony. To Lucy's horror, Atlas Flame and Mother Glare plummeted out of the scarlet sky.

She screamed and clung to Flare as the world shook upon the dragons' impact. Stone flew through the air, pelting the two women with sharp, stinging shards. Eyes screwed shut, they hunched down together in a protective ball.

Eventually the earth settled, the pulsing shockwaves from the crash ceasing at last. Despite the end of the quake, Flare couldn't stop shaking against Lucy. In her terror, she was reduced to a whimpering mess. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, cutting tracks through the grime that coated her face.

She gasped when she felt the water wiped away. Opening her rust colored orbs, she saw Lucy smiling tremulously at her. "It's okay, Flare. We'll get through this together, I promise."

Although it was shaky, the smile gave Flare strength. "I believe you," she whispered. Taking Lucy's hands in her own, they rose to their feet.

The shockwaves had finished what Lucy and Flare had started. Long, thin waves of electricity flowed around the control device, whipping out towards the girls and snapping back with a hiss. Whatever had been done to it had stopped the keening tone it had been emitting prior to it, however.

Lucy quickly looked towards the Eclipse gate for a sign that this nightmare was coming to an end. However, the monolith remained unfazed.

Her face and heart fell at the sight. Was there nothing they could do to destroy it?

The blonde growled, startling her partner. "Is there anything that can bring down this monstrosity?! At this point, I think a dragon would have to fall on the damn thing to do any damage!"

She paused.

Now  _there_ was a thought.

Releasing her friend, Lucy spun around trying to locate one dragon in particular. "Atlas Flame!" she called, cupping her hands around her mouth to carry the sound. "Atlas! We need your…"

She trailed off at the scene that greeted her.

Atlas Flame and Mother Glare were no longer fighting each other. In fact, the two dragons were sitting amicably side by side, heads following – in unison – movement at their claws.

Lucy blinked. "Is the Dragon Tamer spell broken?" she wondered. "But how?"

Peering into the distance, she found her gaze drawn to the frantic movement that had captivated the dragons' attention. A figure was running around frantically amongst the debris, but she couldn't make out much more than that.

Then the figure adjusted their trajectory, and approached the Fairy Tail and Raven Tail mages at breakneck speed.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH! I'M FIRED UP NOW!" it screamed in triumph.

The blonde spotted the familiar pink, spiky hair of her best friend. "What is he… oh no. Oh Mavis, you have  _got to be kidding me_ ," she groaned.

Natsu ran towards them at high speed, spouting flames from his maw every step of the way. "How do you like that, Rogue?! This is why you don't mess with Fairy Tail!" In front of him, he propelled what appeared, by Lucy's reckoning, to be a wheelbarrow.

Although the blonde was curious about where and when he had suddenly acquired the object in question, she was far more interested in finding out how he'd managed to get Future Rogue  _in it_.

Indeed, the villain was leaning over the side of the vehicle. He was trying, in vain, to hold back his loose hair as he vomited over the side. The fact that the wheelbarrow jostled the Dragon Slayer every which way whenever Natsu ran over even the smallest pebble was only making his obvious motion sickness worse.

A sweatdrop ran down Lucy's head. "This brings new meaning to the concept of humiliating the defeated."

Her observations were interrupted by a casual, "Yo! Blondie! Red!" The greeting originated somewhere behind her, so Lucy turned to see who it was. Her stomach churned at the finding.

A platinum blonde Dragon Slayer limped into view, supported by his dark haired friend. His leg looked to be broken, and he was holding his side to stem the blood from a wound there. Despite his injuries, he grinned cheekily at the women. "Hey, hey, pretty ladies! Why the long faces? The great Sting Eucliffe has arrived!"

Before Lucy could so much as glare at him, the present era's Rogue dropped the Dragon Slayer of Light right on his smirking face. "Oops. Sorry, Sting," he apologized without any inflection in his voice and without an expression upon his face. Nor did he make any move to help his friend back up.

Sting held his nose as he craned his head up at the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "You did that on purpose, you bastard!"

To which Rogue shrugged noncommittally and replied, "You're durable."

A howl of rage erupted from Sting's mouth.

And this outburst Rogue simply ignored.

Lucy froze at the sight of the Shadow Dragon Slayer and the sound of his level voice. Her face drained of color and her knees locked. She squelched a small cry of terror at Rogue's appearance. In her mind's eye, she supplanted the dark individual in front of her for the maniacally laughing future version of himself. The look of triumph on his face, and the blood that stained the air and her hands as her future self lay dying before her on the cold, blue marble tiles.

"Hey, Blondie… are you okay?"

Sting's concerned voice broke the spell she was under, and Lucy blinked back the vision of her own death. The blonde Dragon Slayer had pulled himself into a sitting position, his fractured leg stretched out before him. His blue eyes regarded her with a mixture of curiosity and true concern – something she'd never have believed possible from a member of Sabertooth.

Rogue, too, she noticed was gazing at her with his one visible, crimson eye – something vaguely resembling worry shining in it.

She blinked again and mentally shook herself as the present and future Rogues tried to swap places once more.  _'What happened,'_ she wondered, ' _to make them change this much? Before, they wouldn't have cared a whit about a Fairy's wellbeing.'_

"Blondie?" Flare timidly touched Lucy's shoulder.

Lucy tried her best to swallow her fear. She laughed nervously. "What is with you two calling me Blondie, huh? I do have a name, you know." Valiantly, and drawing upon reserves she didn't know she had, she tried to diffuse the awkwardness and joke, "Unless you've both forgotten it, that is."

The resulting looks upon the two's faces, and the copious amounts of sweat sliding down them, were priceless.

"It's… not… Blondie?" Sting offered tentatively, and thereby sealed his fate.

Rogue turned away, shaking his head slightly at his partner's sheer inability to recognize when he was in grave danger.

A dark, tangible aura appeared around Lucy. "You seriously forgot my damn name?!" Sting and Flare 'eeped' and flinched in tandem. "You!" Lucy pointed at Sting, whose survival instincts had finally kicked in, causing him to start panicking. "At least learn the names of the other competitors! Or at least the main team members of your rival! I mean, really?! There were only five of us! It's not that difficult!"

"And you!" she rounded on Flare. The terrified woman's eyes were as large as saucers. "Flare! We actually fought each other! Sting-san's memory lapse can be blamed on stupidity –"

"Hey!" he protested.

"Actually, he just has a short attention span," Rogue interjected in his friend's defense, much to Sting's dismay.

"Hey!" the Dragon Slayer repeated, indignant. Sting stared at his partner. "I'm starting to think that you're not actually on my side."

Rogue returned Sting's look with a flat expression and did not comment further.

"You didn't deny it," Sting observed.

Rogue turned back to Lucy and Flare.

"Don't ignore me!"

Lucy ignored both of them. "But seriously! You have no excuse. How could you forget!"

"I'm sorry!" Flare squeaked, cowering before the raging blonde.

"I do know your name!" Sting interjected, trying to save himself further wrath and what remained of his pride.

The blonde woman leveled a dangerously flat look at him. "Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "What is it then?"

About to fling a crack about her not knowing her own name, Sting thought better of it as he saw the muscles in her leg contract in preparation for a kick. By the angle of where he sat to where she stood, he judged that the blow would most likely be to his jaw. On principle, he liked to avoid being kicked in the face by angry blondes. On the plus side, he would probably get an eyeful of her panties but then again he also liked the way his nose was shaped. Also, it was just as likely she'd stomp on his broken leg, or on a particular soft part of himself that he was rather fond of. And he knew that he would proceed to cry like a little girl if it came to either of those. "U-um…" he stuttered, mind trying to formulate a new response to the question on short notice. "…Luffy?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Ah, wait, that's not it! I was joking!" Sting waved his hands in front of his face defensively. "Er, your name is Luigi! No …um …Loopy! That's it. Yeah." Of course that had to be it; it perfectly suited a big-boobed blonde like her.

"Wrong answer, pretty boy." She cracked her knuckles and channeled her inner Lucy Ashley. "I'm going to enjoy rearranging your smug little face."

At Sting's expression of horror, Rogue's self control broke and he snorted outright at his partner's blundering.

The Light Dragon Slayer could only stare in shock at Rogue. He'd never seen the man laugh in front of anyone other than him and Frosch before now. It was strange to see.

However, the Shadow Dragon Slayer's apparent good humor was lost on the irate blonde woman who seemed to have it in for them. "Oh?" she growled, turning her fury on him. "Do you find something funny about this situation?" It was strange, but the anger had overcome her previous fear and unease around the man. His casual amusement may have had something to do with it, though, she realized. This wasn't an expression she'd encountered on Future Rogue. "Unless you can give me an accurate answer," she threatened, "you're in the same boat as your buddy here."

The crimson-eyed man regarded her blankly. Although he was not smiling, Lucy swore that she saw a sparkle of mischievousness in his gaze. "Of course I know your name," he answered. "Lucy Heartfilia-san, correct?"

She blinked. Nervousness and slight fear returned as the anger faded. "Err, uh, yeah. That's my name," she said lamely.

"I always remember," he continued, an unreadable look in his eye, "the names of the strong."

Before she even had a chance to process what he'd said, he pointed behind her. "What is Natsu-san doing?"

Glad for an excuse to avert her gaze, Lucy glanced over as Natsu screamed and ran by with the wheelbarrow. She sweatdropped again at the sight.

"Victory laps, I think."

Rogue fixed his own gaze on the back of the blonde's head while her attention was on her teammate. He knew that he'd smelled fear on her when he'd first approached with Sting in tow.  _'No, that wasn't fear'_ , he thought. Simple fear didn't cover the depth and breadth of the emotion rolling off of her in waves. She'd been terrified out of her mind. Still was. He didn't recall having any interaction with her before this point, and he was positive her feelings hadn't been directed at his blonde partner because her visceral reaction didn't occur until she'd spotted Rogue. If he had never met her before, why was she so scared of him? He hadn't done anything against her and her teammates that exceeded Sting's actions – in fact, Sting had gone a lot further than the Shadow Dragon Slayer had. Especially during and after the Naval Battle, where the woman standing before him had been tortured by Minerva.

It confused him.

Then he realized that it wasn't what he had done, it was what he would do. Or rather, his counterpart from the future. He wondered what it could possibly be, to inspire such strong terror at his mere presence. The blonde hadn't been afraid of Minerva. She'd held her head high, and launched a scathing, defiant verbal assault against the sadistic mage. There had been pain, but no fear in her posture or words. Just what had Future Rogue done to her, that it should trump Minerva's cruelty?

But then he thought that he didn't really want to know. That man wasn't him. He would never become someone like that. If he had to, Rogue would spend the rest of his life proving it to the world. And, by extension, to this woman who couldn't even meet his gaze.

He decided that he didn't want anyone who wasn't his enemy to fear him ever again.

"Is that…?" Sting interrupted Rogue's reverie with a question. The blonde man's eyes were trained on his former idol's antics. Specifically, he was watching the violently ill passenger.

"Yeah," Lucy replied, an eyebrow twitching at the spectacle before them.

Rogue shook himself and returned to watching the Fire Dragon Slayer cart his future self around in the wheelbarrow.

"Urp," Sting groaned. "Poor bastard. I feel sick just watching."

"Not to sound skeptical about your abilities," Lucy remarked, "but what happened to the dragons you were fighting?"

Sting rolled his shoulders. "About that… we're not entirely sure where they went."

Lucy stared at him in dawning horror. "…Say what?"

"All of a sudden, they stopped attacking us and lunged at each other. Then they shouted something about how they would finally end their lifelong rivalry today."

' _Oh great,'_  Lucy thought.  _'Dragons with Natsu and Gray's dysfunctional relationship.'_  A horrifying thought occurred to her. "Wait. So… um… so you guys just – I don't know – left them to rampage?!" she asked.  _'Just imagining what Natsu and Gray would be capable of destroying if they were the size of dragons is…'_  Her arms prickled as her imagination took over and provided her with several images she would never be able to forget. In such a world, she would never see her rent money again.

"I wasn't going to get in the middle of  _that_ ," Sting stated bluntly. "Be a crazy person to get in between two dragons fighting to the death. Could barely put a scratch on one of them. Better for everyone to just stay out of their way." As he spoke, his words faded into an almost incoherent mumble.

"Oddly pragmatic for you," Rogue observed dryly.

"Hey!"

"Natsu would've joined in on the dragons' fight," Lucy mumbled to herself. "Probably yelling something like, 'Don't ignore me! I wanna have a fun fight, too!'" She sighed. It was just one more destructive Fairy Tail battle she would have to prevent. "Thereby proving the point."

Sting, who heard every word, shot Rogue a smug look.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of Natsu, what does that Flame Brain think he's doing now?!" Lucy growled, borrowing one of Gray's favorite insults for the Fire Dragon Slayer. The boy appeared to be trying to make the wheelbarrow fly, using the debris scattered about for makeshift ramps.

The new day's first ray of sunlight pierced Lucy's eyes. Turning her head to the sky, she saw the moon nearly set, the crimson light fading with each passing second. It was too late to destroy the gate now, and yet she didn't feel upset about it at all. It was no longer necessary to do so, after all. Future Rogue was effectively defeated, his magic broken by motion sickness of all things. Four of the dragons had ceased their combat with the humans entirely. There was no longer a need to drag them back to their time; they could now force them through with other means (though she was mostly counting on Atlas Flame's cooperation).

Speaking of which, Natsu needed to stop goofing off and assist the other Dragon Slayers with the remaining three dragons. She glanced behind her. Sting was mostly out of commission thanks to his leg, but Rogue still seemed able to fight.

"Natsu!" she yelled at the over exuberant Dragon Slayer. "Quit running around like a chicken with its head cut off and help your nakama with their fights!"

When she looked back at this moment in the future, she would realize that she should've predicted what happened next. Really, it was inevitable.

The pyromaniac immediately released the wheelbarrow at the blonde's command. "Aye!" he yelled and sprinted in the direction of Atlas Flame and Mother Glare. He knew better than to argue when his best friend put on her scary face and used her Erza voice.

What no one could have predicted was that Natsu's hasty fling of the wheelbarrow would propel his best friend into not one future, but seven.

It would be the start of a journey with an unlikely companion. New allies awaited her, heartbreak and triumph alike strewn along her path.

It would become the greatest, most perilous, heart wrenching, joyous adventure of Lucy's already rather eventful life.

It would also be the most terrifying.

But above and beyond all else…

It was going to make her feel real weird about herself.

* * *

_**I Could Be Your Curse Or Your Angel** _

_**-3LAU feat. Bright Lights "How You Love Me"** _


	2. Misplaced Monsters

_**So Far Away From Knowing Where I'm Going** _   
_**I'm Trying Hard To Find Out Who I Am**_   
_**They All Say That I Don't Know What I'm Doing** _   
_**I Say They Don't Hardly Understand** _

_**-3 Doors Down "When You're Young"** _

* * *

Lucy, Sting, Rogue, and Flare watched in abject horror as Natsu casually flung the wheelbarrow that contained the worst villain they'd ever encountered in their lives. The object hung suspended in the air for only a few moments, but it felt like an eternity to the stupefied onlookers.

The occupant of the wheelbarrow was sent flying as well, the rising sun glinting off of his silver locks as he lifted from the makeshift vehicle that had incapacitated him. Leaving the object behind, Future Rogue tumbled through the air to land heavily at the foot of the Eclipse Gate. The man rolled over some of the sizable debris scattered before the behemoth structure as he lost momentum and came to a halt.

The man – no, _monster_ lay there for a moment. Then he coughed and groaned, shakily pulling himself to his knees. He wheezed, clutching his chest as he tried to breathe.

Suddenly, out the corner of Lucy's eye, she saw Rogue sink into his shadows. She watched, agape, as the darkness shot across the square.

Leaping from his shadow, Rogue crashed into his future self, sending them tumbling.

"Shit," Sting hissed from his spot on the ground. "What is that idiot..." He struggled to lift himself up before collapsing back against the stones, his broken leg unable to support his weight. "Damn it," the Dragon Slayer muttered. "Rogue, try not to do anything stupid without me."

Lucy dropped next to Sting. She grabbed his right arm and slung it around her shoulders.

He blinked in deep surprise. "What are you doing, Blondie?" Sting was further shocked when Flare, seeing how Lucy was struggling with the Dragon Slayer's weight, wrapped his other arm around her shoulders.

Together, the two managed to get Sting to his feet – well, foot.

"Ugh," Lucy groaned, "I think I need to give the Exceeds more credit for doing this all the time. You're heavy. Go on a diet, would you?"

"Hey, I resent that! Look at me; do you see an ounce of flab anywhere?" A rueful chuckle, unbidden, burst forth from Sting's mouth. "Seriously though – Blondie, Red, why are you helping me up?" Somewhere deep inside, a voice told him that he didn't deserve their help or care. He'd left during the battle between the two believing both too weak to be of interest, and laughed when the blonde was being tortured by his own teammate. Even when her teammates had rushed to her defense, he'd sided with Minerva against them. In truth, he'd believed that it was her own fault for being weak and not because the other woman was simply merciless and cruel.

The blonde woman simply rolled her eyes at him. "And here I thought you had more brains than Natsu," she teased. Then she shook her head in mock sorrow, and explained, "I've been with Fairy Tail and on Team Natsu long enough to recognize the signs of when someone is about to do something reckless and extremely stupid." She gestured towards the two Rogues, and Lucy smiled brightly at Sting, turning her head to the front. "Nakama and teammates, especially, need to keep each other from doing things like that." At this point, even she wasn't sure anymore about who she was talking about. The current Rogue from her era, or the one from the future. Maybe it was both. "You're his teammate, right? That's your job. We'll just make sure you get over there."

Unable to formulate a proper response to this speech, Sting merely stared at the profile of her face. "Huh," he muttered, more to himself.

At this, Flare smiled cheerfully at him as well. "I'm following Blondie's lead," she offered helpfully. "I don't particularly care about you one way or another."

Those words dealt Sting a physical blow and all the air rushed out of his lungs. He wheezed at the critical hit to his ego. "Ouch, Red. Ouch." It wasn't like he didn't deserve it to some degree, but… ooh, that hurt. "Blondie, she's being mean," he whined.

"Okay, seriously, you two? Stop with the 'Blondie this', 'Blondie that' already. My name is Lucy. Use it."

Sting and Flare contemplated it for all of two seconds. "No," they replied in concert.

"I will drop you," Lucy threatened Sting alone.

"Yeah, right," Sting challenged. "You don't have the heart to, Blondie. You're a Fairy after – AAAHHH!" he screamed as both Lucy and Flare let go momentarily, catching him again before he hit the ground.

Hauling the incapacitated Dragon Slayer back up, Lucy snickered at the expression on the other blonde's face. "You were saying?"

"…Point taken."

He was going to have to reconsider his definition of 'weak'.

"We have to stop Rogue. Our Rogue," Sting confided in the women. "I know him. He's going to kill… that person. We can't let him. It'll destroy him." Tears pricked his eyes in fear for his friend. "I can't let him become that person. I promised him I wouldn't."

Lucy and Flare nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Rogue and Future Rogue had stopped a mere hair's breadth from the Eclipse Gate. Grabbing two fistfuls of his counterpart's shirt, the present era's Rogue stood up and dragged his future self up with him. He slammed the Dragon Slayer against the gate and leaned toward his face, snarling.

Up until this point, a small part of Rogue had been able to deny that the cause of all the destruction and chaos was himself. But, now that he could see and smell the monster before him clearly, with no distractions, he realized that he couldn't fool himself any longer.

Although older, the face before him was definitely his. Time had narrowed the man's face a bit. He was missing an eye; the ugly, gaping scar from where it had been torn out, bridged his nose to stretch across his face. It was hard to miss the fact that his hair had completely changed, as well. Only the man's bangs were dark, the rest of his locks were now a somewhat dirtied, yet still shocking white-blonde and extremely long (did he not cut it once in the seven years he had on the current era's Rogue?). Vomit from where he'd been sick on himself coated the strands. Then there was the matter of the tattoo over his left eye, black and snaking up the side of his face from his jaw to his eyebrow.

But his eye. The blood red orb stared back at Rogue, the narrow, snake-like pupil contemplating him in return.

There was no mistaking that eye. Rogue had seen it his whole life staring back at him in the mirror.

He growled. Lifting his future counterpart away from the gate, he then slammed the man back into it.

With a crack, the back of Future Rogue's head collided with the gate. His lip curled at the pain and a hiss like steam escaped from his mouth.

"Why?!" the current era's Rogue rasped, flinching from the stench of bile wafting from Future Rogue's mouth. It took every speck of willpower he still possessed to keep from trembling in his rage and despair; the emotions coiled about his soul like his shadows, urging him to rip out Future Rogue's throat and be done with it.

Behind him, he heard Sting and the two girls approaching. Ignoring them, he kept his eyes on his adversary, waiting for an answer. When it didn't seem forthcoming, he leaned his head back and smashed it against Future Rogue's.

The monster's single, crimson eye spun as his head once again collided with the gate.

"Tell me!" Rogue demanded. "Why did you do this?! I would never harm my friends! So why are you so intent on killing everyone?!"

Future Rogue coughed twice, his head lowered. Slowly, he raised his gaze to meet that of his past self. A sneer twisted his face as a harsh, cruel laugh wound its way to freedom. Only once the fits of mirth had subsided, did the man deign to answer his counterpart. "Except that you do." The smile split and pulled Future Rogue's face into an insane mask – the corners of his lips nearly reaching his eyes. "You will become a part of the darkness. It's your fate and your future, as you can see before you."

"You're lying!"

He laughed at his past self's naiveté. It was so very nostalgic. "And yet the evidence to the contrary breathes in front of you," Future Rogue taunted. There was something… oddly satisfactory about watching his past self sink into despair. Punishment for mistakes not yet made. "One year from now, your world will come crashing down around your ears."

Rogue's grip on the man's clothes tightened. "What do you mean?" The man coughed again, but this time blood flew from his mouth and landed on Rogue's face. He didn't bother to wipe it away, nor did he flinch.

Blood dribbling out the corner of his ghastly grin, Future Rogue laughed once more. "Frosch."

That single word drained the remaining colour from Rogue's face.

Future Rogue heard his counterpart's heartbeat racing, and knew that he had his full attention on his words. Perfect. Quietly, he began to gather power in the center of his back, where the Eclipse and his body would block it from view. Would the thing that dwelt within answer his call as it had in his original timeline? Would the gate open for him again?

_Yes, it would._

"One year from now, Frosch will die. There will be nothing you can do to stop it." His grin had fallen with the admission. Even six years later, the heartache reached forward with its talons to tear what remained of him apart. "The pain will be unimaginable." He knew he was saying it to distract, so why was he bothering with the truth? He wasn't sure.

Happiness had died in him that day, so long ago. And yet, it hadn't happened here. Not for some time. He wondered, could he still prevent the death of his closest companion? Should he even try? …Or perhaps not. He was long past the time when he frolicked with a cat; his only focus now should be on slaying Acnologia to become the new King of the Dragons.

The Rogue of the present stared at his future self. _'Frosch will… die?'_ It didn't fully register in his brain. The mere idea of Frosch disappearing from his life was enough to make his heart clench painfully. He knew without a doubt that he loved the Exceed above all others – above Sting, Lector, himself, and even Skiadrum.

He remembered finding her wandering when he thought he'd lost everything. After putting Skiadrum out of his misery, Rogue had felt only a yawning void in his chest where warmth had once resided. Joining Phantom Lord, and shadowing the terrifying Gajeel Redfox had done little to fill the emptiness. He'd even lost that when the Guild was disbanded. The Exceed, with her green fur and ridiculously adorable pink frog costume, had been hope itself for the lonely little boy. When she'd sprouted wings, it was almost as if he'd gained them himself.

If Frosch died, there would be very little of him left worth anything.

A tear slipped down his cheek. "No," he whimpered. "You're lying."

"I wish I was."

The sincerity in Future Rogue's voice nearly broke him.

"Then," the monster continued, still serious, "Acnologia will rise and lay waste to the world. Frosch's death will only be the beginning. One by one, you'll lose those you care about. Lector, Rufus, Yukino, Minerva – yes, even her – Orga, Natsu, Gajeel, and Lucy Heartfilia. Their deaths will break you. One day it will be too much and you will feed yourself to your shadow." Here, his manic smile returned. "You will murder your last remaining friend, and your promise of mutual destruction will be worth less than the dust at your feet and his blood on your hands." Future Rogue laughed. "Your shadow will consume his light and you will be truly lost."

Rogue's grip slackened at this revelation, his eyes widening in horror. He quickly glanced over his shoulder. Sting, with Lucy and Flare supporting him, had gained much ground since the start of his conversation.

Sting met his gaze with the same despair that he felt, confirming that the Dragon Slayer of Light – with his keen hearing – had heard the whole future revelation.

"That won't happen," asserted Rogue, still looking at his friend. He wasn't certain as to whether he was still speaking to his future self, to Sting, or if he was just trying to reassure himself.

"Don't you get it already?!" Future Rogue snarled, patience lost with his past self. "It already has!" Taking the opportunity presented to him, he then shoved his past self, breaking the man's grip.

Losing his balance, Rogue fell to the stones before the gate. He turned in place, just in time to see Future Rogue disappearing into the shadows gathered, unnoticed, at his back.

"I think my plans for this world are sunk. Perhaps I'll try my luck elsewhere. Or, should I say, else _when_?" With a laugh, he vanished into a sliver of darkness.

"No!" Rogue screamed, reaching for the shadow. It slipped from his grasping fingers, and plunged into the crack between the gate's doors.

And just like that, Future Rogue escaped back into time. Out of reach.

A wail of despair wrenched itself from Rogue's throat, barely noticed by its originator. He struggled to gather his magic, and sank into his own shadow. Streaking towards the gate, he threw himself at the space his counterpart had disappeared into.

Only for his form to break apart against the unyielding structure, denied entry.

Gasping, he solidified and slammed his physical body into it instead. Not even a quiver shook the gate, the blow shrugged off as easily as his shadow form had been repelled.

"No!" He tried to pry the gate apart with his bandaged hands, even though he knew it was impossible. "I won't let you!"

Hitting the gate with his fists, he continued to shout at the impassive object. "I promise you! I won't become you! I will stop you, I swear it!" The skin on Rogue's hands broke and bled from the abuse, the warm liquid dripping down his arms, but he continued to pound the gate anyway. His fingernails ripped as he attempted to claw through the steel blocking him from his prey. Tears now flowed freely down his face.

Sting swore as he saw Rogue gather shadows around him, preparing to pursue his adversary through the gate despite the result of his last attempt. The blonde Dragon Slayer threw off the arms supporting him and coiled his one good leg. With a cry, he launched himself at his friend. Hitting him with a full-body tackle, they fell to the ground.

Rogue's concentration broken, the shadows dissipated.

"Let me go, Sting!" he cried, flailing under the weight of his partner. "I have to stop him!"

The blonde Dragon Slayer clung as tightly as he could to the desperate Shadow Dragon Slayer. "No, Rogue! Not like this! If I let you go after him with wounds like that, you'll die!" Indeed, the man was bleeding from over a dozen small, yet deep punctures – inflicted by Scissor Runner's pincers. If Rogue hadn't turned into a shadow to escape them, he would have been sawn in half. But, with the injuries he had received, he shouldn't have dragged Sting away from the battling dragons; he shouldn't have supported him all the way to the courtyard; he shouldn't have tackled Future Rogue, and he certainly shouldn't have thrown himself at the gate. Although Rogue was tough, there was only so much stress and blood loss a body could take before it gave out. There was also the possibility of internal injuries to his organs that had yet to reveal themselves fully.

Sting feared for his stubborn friend's life.

Rogue thrashed in Sting's grip. "I'm not him! I have to stop him, so I won't ever become him!" Desperate he reached beyond Sting for the gate. "I can't let him continue to commit atrocities while wearing _my face_!" His voice broke at the last two words, despair watering his throat.

"I know," Sting whispered, knowing that Rogue could hear him and hoping that his voice reached. "But not right now, Rogue. We need to get you healed up. I won't…" His voice broke into a sob, tears and snot welling up uncontrollably. "Future Sting failed Future Rogue, but _I_ won't fail _you_."

He turned his head to the hovering women as Rogue's piteous wailing began again.

Lucy dropped to the ground and leaned towards the two Dragon Slayers. Sting smelled the other blonde's fear, read it in the stiffness around her eyes and the way she held herself. Otherwise, she wasn't letting it show. "What can we do to help him?"

To her credit, her voice barely trembled.

Swallowing a knot in his throat, Sting hiccupped. "Bring Frosch here. She's the only one who can help him when he's like this." It clearly killed him to admit it – to acknowledge that his only use to his best friend was as an anchor and that no matter how much he wanted to, he could not be a true balm.

The Fairy Tail Mage nodded. "She's his Exceed, right? What does she look like, and where might she be?" Now that she had a purpose, she felt stronger.

Sting flinched as Rogue let loose a particularly nasty stream of expletives at his future self, the gate, the dragons, and his own partner for holding him back. The rage had become sorrow, until it had come full circle back to rage, which was never a good sign. With Rogue, though… Sting had never seen this in the seven years he'd known his partner.

It terrified him.

"Frosch is green, and she wears a pink frog costume. We sent Lector and Frosch to act as lookouts for the retreating citizens, thinking that it would be safer. I don't know where they could be now, though."

"All right." Lucy nodded, and stood up. She turned to her companion. "A woman named Kinana from my Guild went to guide the citizens to those mountain tops." Lucy pointed them out. "Flare, how fast do you think you can get over there?"

The woman with crimson locks considered the distance for a moment. "How soon do you need me there?"

"Now," Lucy commanded.

Flare nodded. "Then I'll be going. Be careful!"

"I will."

As the young woman turned away, Sting called out, "Wait, Red!"

She tilted her head slightly to regard him with the corner of one rust coloured eye. "What?"

"Lector! He's a red Exceed, and he wears a blue jacket! Tell him I'm okay!" he pleaded.

"Flare!" Lucy called to her as well. "Pass along Sting's message, and send Frosch here, but tell Kinana and Lector to stay with the citizens!" She turned to Sting with an apology in her eyes. "An Exceed lookout was too good of an idea to send both of them down here. They'll need his eyes and wings yet, I fear."

The Dragon Slayer nodded reluctantly, and Flare took off without waiting for further orders.

Sting glanced at the Celestial Mage. He had to admit that she wore the mantle of authority well. She was completely different from Yukino, the only other Celestial Mage he knew. Yukino, although strong and capable when it came to many matters, had never exuded such calm surety as the woman in front of him.

What amazed the blonde Sabertooth Mage the most, though, was the fact that he could still hear her racing heartbeat. Her scent still revealed her deep, inner terror. However, there was no trace of it elsewhere, as she held herself still and upright – her expression the model of calm authority.

He remembered when he was faced with those same feelings of utter helplessness and terror at her guild mates' display of strength. Was it really only a few hours ago when his legs had turned to gelatin and he'd fallen to his knees in surrender before their unified front – without having even put up a struggle?

' _Strength, huh?'_ he thought, recalling also Rogue's earlier comment to the woman. _'Is this what you meant, Rogue? Is this what you saw? If so, when?'_ Sting couldn't imagine how Rogue, of all people, had seen it where Sting himself hadn't. He prided himself on his ability to spot strength, so how in Earthland had he missed this woman?

"Sting," Lucy addressed the Dragon Slayer without an honorific this time. She felt they were past that, honestly. It would feel silly to add a _san_ to his name now. "Do you have things handled here?"

He blinked up at her, feeling somewhat foolish and hoping she hadn't caught him staring. Rogue had stopped struggling, and was now clutching Sting's fur-lined jacket with all his remaining power. The dark-haired man's shoulders shook with the force of his sobs. "I think I can manage him until Frosch arrives. Why?" Sudden panic set in. She wasn't leaving, was she?

Lucy looked off into the rising sun, and then at the ruins of Crocus. "There are still three dragons out there, Sting. And I'm sure that there's plenty of wounded. We'll have to set up a command center, and locate all of the remaining combatants. Wendy and Chelia's healing abilities are going to be in high demand." She cast a worried glance at the two men. "The wound on your side – it's reopened."

Sting gave her pained smirk. "Thanks, Blondie, I hadn't noticed the searing agony." She puffed out her cheeks in irritation, like a child. The sight almost drove him to laugh.

But then, laughing would _really hurt_ right now.

"If you're in good enough shape to joke," she offered, her smile turning as sweet as poison, "then you can direct people as the new command center leader. The courtyard is as good a place as any to set it up, I suppose."

For some reason, that smile scared him a hell of a lot more than fighting the dragons did. "Me?" he stared at her with a mixture of fear and surprise. "You want _me_ in charge?" Appointing himself the interim Guild Master of Sabertooth was one thing with Jiemma and Minerva vanished, but he wasn't sure he was up for what she was suggesting.

Lucy snorted in derision. "Unless the great Sting Eucliffe is admitting that he can't meet the challenge."

"Of course not!"

"Then prove it."

Sting was aware that he'd strolled into that one. Well, he would just have to be his normal impressive self and everything would be fine. …Probably. He hoped. It wasn't like he was Natsu, after all. _Sting_ didn't randomly set things _on_ _fire_. That had to count for something.

"Aye, aye, Captain Blondie," he mock saluted her.

Lucy growled in the back of her throat at her seemingly inescapable epithet. "In that case, I'll be going. Take care." She hesitated and then added, much softer, "Both of you." Lucy turned, and started to jog away, but was stopped by a yell from Sting.

"Hey Blondie! I'll consider calling you by your name if you join Sabertooth!"

He wasn't sure where that had come from, but it felt right. Now that he was the new Guild Master (apparent), he could do stuff like that, right? Otherwise, what was the point?

Lucy shot him a brilliant smile over her shoulder. "I'll consider joining if you call me by my name!" she joked. Leaping over a fallen column, she disappeared from sight.

Sting blinked at where the blonde woman had vanished and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. _'Who wears that kind of underwear into battle?'_ he thought, having received an eyeful of lacy panties when her tattered skirt flipped up during her jump. _'Maybe it inspires self-confidence?'_ Blondie had quite a lot to be proud of, from what he'd seen. He let out a long, low whistle.

A light hit on his shoulder captured Sting's attention.

"Pervert," Rogue muttered, pulling back from his partner. "You can let go of me, now, by the way."

Sting frowned and crushed Rogue in a vice-gripped embrace. "Not until you promise that you won't try to follow him until you're healed, or do anything else equally stupid." At his partner's pained protest, Sting squeezed harder, smothering Rogue. "I'm the only one on this team allowed to pull idiotic stunts, remember?" When Rogue refused to respond, Sting thumped him on his back as hard as he could, eliciting a yelp from the wounded mage. "Promise me, Rogue!"

Something resembling assent was mumbled into Sting's jacket.

(Or it might have been, "Uncle! Uncle!")

"Eh, good enough." Sting released him and Rogue slumped. The fight was long gone from him, exhaustion from the battle catching up with him. What energy the past twenty-four hours hadn't stolen the fit of rage and despair the Shadow Dragon Slayer had thrown had drained from him. The person in front of Sting wasn't his partner, but rather the husk of the man. He hoped Frosch arrived soon, or his friend might not recover.

"I will defeat him," Rogue suddenly said, his voice raspy from his destroyed vocal cords. "No, I will _obliterate_ him."

Fixing Rogue with a hard stare, Sting scooted away, leaned back against the gate and then propped his fractured leg up on a stone fragment. "Blondie was afraid." It came out more accusing than he'd intended, but he knew it needed to be said. "Why was she afraid of you?"

Rogue swallowed the dust in his throat, and put his head in his hands. "I don't know. But _he_ must have done something." There was no need to clarify who ' _he'_ was. Crimson eyes emerged from the shelter of his palms to bore straight into Sting's cerulean ones. "I will tear him apart for it, though," he promised with a deadly calm tone and expression.

"No," Sting said.

His partner hissed at him.

"No," Sting repeated. "We'll take him apart together, for making you, me, and Blondie cry." Then he sniggered as it occurred to him that he should probably wipe his face clear of the snot and tears drying on it. "Well, if Blondie leaves us enough of him when she's through." He flapped a hand in dismissal. "The woman is _scary_. Never thought I'd ever meet someone I'd fear or respect more than Minerva."

Rogue chuckled, which made Sting grin ruefully at his partner. "I think I'm in trouble, Rogue," he confided in the normally stoic man. "This is the first time I've ever _wanted_ to be friends with someone. Please tell me I'm not going as soft as a Fairy."

"It's too late for you," Rogue replied, solemn.

"Bah. Don't tell the others."

* * *

_**Why Can't They Remember** _   
_**What I'll Never Forget?**_   
_**How These Dreams Can Come Undone**_   
_**When You're Young**_

_**-3 Doors Down "When You're Young"** _

* * *

Once she had run far enough to be out the extensive auditory range of the two Dragon Slayers, Lucy halted before collapsing amongst the rubble. She trembled violently, and would have vomited if there had been anything in her stomach to lose. A rattling breath forced the final vestiges of oxygen from her lungs, before she tried to inhale again. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and weariness flooded her veins. "I'm not strong enough for this," she whispered to the ground. She wanted to curl up and sleep until the world returned to normal. Irrational though it was, that desire pulled at her willpower with an insistence difficult to resist.

At this rate, she was pretty sure she would unravel even as the world did around her.

She pretended to strength. She did not possess it. No, she relied on Natsu to carry her emotionally – and often physically – through whatever turbulence they encountered. And they'd experienced far more than a fair share of pain and misfortune. As if there could even _be_ such a thing as a fair share.

But this time…

Lucy lifted her gaze, smoke from the fires that yet burned clogging her nostrils as ash did her throat. Golden light pierced the lingering smog, but did little to illuminate the looming gloom in the air or in Lucy's heart.

This time…

A building, someone's home before all this, crumbled in front of her. The damage it had sustained during the fighting could no longer be borne. Inward the stone blocks and massive timbers that comprised it fell; slow, almost stately they gave in to gravity and their wounds.

_Natsu couldn't fix this._

Lucy wasn't sure anyone could fix it.

Sure, after all was said and done the inhabitants of the city would pick up what remained of themselves and their lives. The city could be rebuilt, and its scars erased. In a few years, she supposed, Crocus would appear much as it had when she'd first seen it a week prior. Full of vibrancy and possibility. An ever present hum of sheer life filling the air.

But _this_ … The gaping holes in the hearts of the ones who'd survived this nightmare. She feared they would never close. Not entirely.

The blatant anguish on Rogue and Sting's faces had gotten to her, she realized. It was clear that Rogue was just as shocked and horrified by the actions of his counterpart as she was. This Rogue was innocent. He'd done nothing wrong.

It wasn't his fault that he shared the same face as the one who'd murdered Future Lucy. Lucy knew this. She did. But she could still see the blood, and the light dying in the eyes twin to her own. She could hear the sneer in his voice, taunting them. The pointlessness of trying to change what had already happened.

Lucy's eyes snapped open, though she didn't recall having squeezed them shut in the first place. "You know what else I remember?" she growled at the apparition that threatened to undo her. "I remember the promise I made to her. I promised her I would protect the future. That's what I'm going to do." She touched her keys, feeling the warmth and support of her Spirits surrounding her.

She pulled herself up. Lifting her arms, she slapped her face with the palms of her hands twice. "Why am I acting like such a goddamned emotional _teenager_?!" the seventeen-year old yelled in frustration at the rising sun. She was, technically, twenty-four – no, make that twenty-five. There had been another birthday in there somewhere. "I've faced Acnologia! I've looked upon Death himself! And survived!" she went on to declare. "Regular old, common dragons? Bring them on!" Lucy punched her open palm. "I'll give them a Lucy Kick so powerful they'll be blasted back to their own time!"

No, she wasn't strong. But she could be scary. Future Rogue would learn not to mess with Lucy, _any Lucy_. So would those overgrown, winged lizards.

But first she would find a standing building with functional plumbing. She still _really_ needed to pee.

* * *

_**It Will All Get Better Now** _   
_**At Least That's What They Say** _   
_**But I Don't See It Coming** _

_**-3 Doors Down "When You're Young"** _

* * *

It didn't take Lucy as long as she'd feared to locate other survivors. Thinking through it logically, she knew it had to be because Mother Glare wasn't fighting any longer. Without the constant barrage of eggs bringing reinforcements to the previously hatched monsters, the battles had tapered off. The mages were making short work of the remaining creatures. This was a respite much needed by the weary combatants. Some of them were still severely injured from the GMG's fifth day elimination challenge, not to mention exhausted from the long night that had followed.

Despite all that had occurred, the Trimens still found the energy to shamelessly flirt with her as soon as they espied her.

In truth (though she would never mention such a thought aloud in the presence of the Blue Pegasus playboys), the fact that they'd fallen back on their normal habits so readily was comforting. Hibiki, Ren, and Eve just wouldn't be themselves without the excessive host club behavior.

After they'd calmed down, she managed to weasel out some information that was relevant and useful. They'd been trying to provide backup for Cobra (which was a surprise) for much of the night against the rock dragon. When the persistent attacks and the onslaught of more of Mother Glare's children had pressed them they had lost sight of the Poison Dragon Slayer. Misplaced along with the criminal, the Trimen's leader, Ichiya, and guild mate Jenny had vanished amongst the rubble.

The trio was quick to reassure the unconcerned blonde that, although Sir Ichiya was missing the seat of his trousers, he was in all likelihood in the capable hands of the bikini-clad Jenny.

Lucy wasn't sure she wanted to know the story behind that.

Of more interest to her was how they'd managed to lose the gargantuan dragon – an issue they'd merely shrugged at.

Luckily, the trail of destruction would not be that hard to follow. Even with all of the passive collateral damage, an actual pathway made by a dragon's bulk was hard to miss.

She informed the former Alliance members of the command center location and of its leader. They looked at her like _she_ was the insane one for having appointed Sting as the commander – honestly what choice did she have? Rogue was in no shape to do anything, Flare was off on other orders and Lucy knew she couldn't even keep herself together in Rogue's mere presence let alone restrain him from pursuing his counterpart through the space time continuum.

The Trimens had no right to criticize. They'd lost a whole damn _dragon_. Made of _living rock._ The thing was the size of a building, for crying out loud! In fact, a simple survey of the wreckage revealed that it had been running _through_ the buildings!

If she included the two dragons Sting and Rogue had managed to misplace, that left three dragons unaccounted for.

Three.

Freaking.

Dragons.

Were.

Missing.

' _Seriously, people?! How do you manage to lose a dragon?! Let alone THREE of the beasts?!'_ Not even Natsu could mess up something this badly – and he'd successfully been messing up _everyone's_ carefully crafted plans for the better part of two decades. Thank you, time-skip. The world may have gotten a seven year reprieve from the pink – sorry – _salmon_ headed part-time wreaking ball, full-time stick of dynamite and his neon blue demon hell spawn of a feline, but it just ensured that he would do his best to make up for the lost time. Property damage in general was Fairy Tail's specialty, but it was Natsu's one true love and arguably his greatest talent.

After ordering the Trimens to help organize in the courtyard and locate other survivors, she fended off their concerns about a _lady_ wandering the apocalyptic landscape by herself. Really, she was fine. All she needed were clean clothes and functioning facilities.

This, they kindly pointed out to her (after more bullshit nonsense and blushing at the thought of _ladies_ needing to use such things).

She thought she showed admirable restraint in _not_ showing them several _very_ unladylike gestures.

* * *

_**I Hope One Day I'm Stronger Than I Feel  
And I Hope It Feels Different Than Today** _

_**-3 Doors Down "When You're Young"** _

* * *

It happened to be the Honey Bone Inn.

' _Of course.'_

Freed and Levy had set up several defense enchantments around the building earlier on in the GMG when they believed Raven Tail would attack or attempt to kidnap one of their mages again. It seemed that those precautions had served them in good stead and had mitigated most of the damage to the building.

Lucy grasped the door handle and pulled it open. Slipping inside and shutting the door behind her, she glanced around at the inn. Broken tables and chairs scattered across the open first floor area made for an intricate maze littered with shattered glass. The four chandelier-lacrima hanging from the ceiling were askew, and swaying gently; strange shadows shapes formed and flowed with the movement of the crystals. The plaster wall to her left bore a jagged hole, as if something had taken a bite out of it (very likely the case).

One side of a ceiling timber had fallen, punching through the flooring and ripping out a small section of the ceiling. It didn't appear to have affected the structural integrity of the building overmuch besides the obvious bits of debris and insulation that surrounded the beam.

Because of the poor lighting, Lucy couldn't discern any other major features of the room. She lifted her foot and inspected the condition of her shoe. It was in tatters, not too different from the rest of her outfit. Although it was serviceable for the world outside, she wasn't too sure it would protect her should she choose to cross the glass littered floor. Placing her foot down, she lifted the other to perform the same inspection. It was in much the same condition as the first.

Eyeing the wreckage, she gingerly stepped around the piles of glass. The shifting lights made it difficult to navigate the labyrinth of debris, but she was undeterred in her quest to find a toilet. Once she had successfully made it to the bottom of the staircase, she abandoned caution to the wind as her bladder protested. Severe discomfort plagued her gut as she dashed up the stairs. It was ignored due to the urgency of the situation.

Groping her way down the darkened hallway, Lucy located her team's room. Nudging the door with her foot, she pushed it as far as it could go. Something behind it was blocking her from opening it all the way, but there was just enough space for her to slip through.

Light streamed in the open windows, temporarily blinding the young woman. With rapid blinks, her eyes adjusted with painful slowness. It occurred to her that the rows of beds laid out before her could make a great impromptu infirmary if the debris downstairs could be cleared out.

She stumbled towards her bed, and kneeled next to it. Pulling out her bag from under it, she grabbed the first outfit she found and shoved the object back under the frame. After rising to her feet, she walked over to the room's adjoining bathroom. She entered, and pulled the door shut behind her.

The glimpse she caught of herself in the dingy, dust-coated mirror was almost enough to make her gag.

However, first things first.

After she took care of her business, she turned on the sink tap and cranked the temperature to boiling. She washed her hands, then nabbed a hand towel off the rack and soaked it. Running the now almost scalding fabric across her skin elicited both delicious and painful sensations. Shrugging out of her old garments, she wiped down as much of herself as she could.

Rivulets of dirty water made tracks in the grime that clung to her. She thoroughly scoured herself with the towel, almost violently scraping off the evidence of battle. Almost black, the towel was discarded once she was through with it. Deciding that nothing could be done with her hair, she located a tie and bound it in a high ponytail on her scalp where it would be out of her way.

She surveyed the damage done to her body. A nasty, dark blue and black bruise was forming near her ribs on her right side that she knew Wendy needed to take a look at. It stood out starkly against her now furiously pink skin that she'd rubbed raw in her attempt to get clean. Several shallow scratches had opened up again thanks to her unforgiving scrubbing but only the bruise seemed like it needed attention.

Vanity satisfied for now, she redressed in the simple underwear, leggings and tank top she'd brought in with her. To her chagrin, she realized that she'd forgotten to grab shoes and socks.

The Celestial Mage reopened the bathroom door and ventured into the bedroom, only to freeze in place as she caught sight of the object obstructing the entryway into the room.

It wasn't an object.

It was a person.

She rushed towards the prone figure and dropped beside them. A dark pool spread out from under them, soaking the carpet. Gulping, she carefully rolled the person over to survey the damage. She gasped as the action revealed large gashes across the man's torso that could have only come from dragon talons. Crimson liquid still seeped from the ragged wounds.

' _Where's Wendy and Chelia when I need them?'_ Lucy thought in horror.

Her gaze drifted up to the man's face and she paled in recognition at the spiky, auburn hair, pointed ears, and the long, thin scar over his right eye.

It was Cobra.

But hadn't the Trimens said that he had been fighting the rock dragon? From what Lucy could recall when they'd emerged from the Eclipse Gate, it had been the only dragon _without_ fangs or talons.

She shook her head fiercely. How he had received the wounds could wait until later, when he was conscious and recuperating.

Right now, she needed to draw on her limited knowledge of first aid to save his life.

Because she'd be damned if she let another person die in front of her.

Never again.

* * *

_**It's Already Over And Done  
When You're Young** _

_**-3 Doors Down "When You're Young"** _


	3. Healing

_**Another Day In** _   
_**This Carnival Of Souls**_   
_**Another Night Settles In** _   
_**As Quickly As It Goes** _

_**-Five Finger Death Punch "Far From Home"** _

* * *

Lucy couldn't allow the man before her to perish, regardless of what he'd done to her and her friends on previous encounters. He had fought the dragons. He deserved to live. Although, even if he hadn't helped out she still wouldn't have been able to abandon someone so severely injured. It went against everything she believed in to allow suffering to take place before her eyes.

Bolting to her feet, she ran to what had been her bed. She stripped the coverlet from it along with the top sheet, leaving only the fitted sheet over the mattress. True to her intuition, her bed was the cleanest of the bunch since the hotel staff had changed the sheets while she was in prison. She never thought she'd be thankful for being stuck in jail, but here she was, grateful for not having been able to sleep in and therefore dirty the sheets.

She brushed her fingertips over her keys until she found the right one. Returning to the unconscious Dragon Slayer, she drew out her chosen key. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!"

Her perverted Spirit appeared, declaring, "Miss Luuuuuucy! How may I serve yooooooou and your mooooving body?"

The mage barely spared him a glance, already scanning the room trying to figure out which bed hid Wendy's spare medical kit. "Taurus, please carry this man over to the stripped down bed over there," she asked, gesturing along with her instructions. "And please, be as gentle as possible. He's hurt pretty badly, and I don't want his wounds exacerbated further if I can help it."

"Right away, Miss Luuuuucy!" The large Spirit bent down and gathered the fallen warrior in his arms. Stepping lightly to the bed, Taurus laid the man down. As he did so, the auburn haired Dragon Slayer groaned, starting to come to.

Worried, and clutching the kit tightly, Lucy shot to his side. "That'll be all. Thank you, Taurus." She gratefully turned to the Spirit. "I really appreciate it."

He smiled, and disappeared.

She drew out another key. "Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!"

The pink haired Spirit appeared with a puff of sparkles and bowed deeply, her shackles dragging across the floor. "Punishment, Princess?" she asked reflexively.

"No punishment. Help me take his clothes off." Lucy couldn't see the full extent of the damage to the man with his clothing blocking her view and access to his wounds.

"Oh, my, Princess," Virgo commented. The cosplaying Spirit said nothing further as she saw just what they were dealing with. With some maneuvering, the pair were finally able to shimmy the mage out of his fur-lined coat only to be confronted by his zipped jacket, overshirt, and undershirt.

"Why are there so many fucking layers?!" Lucy lamented. "You're a man aren't you?! You're not a damn debutante! Weren't you only released from prison last night? Where did you even get all these clothes?!" According to Lucy's finely tuned eye for all things high society, she could even tell that they were of surpassingly good quality, too.

She rummaged through Wendy's medical supplies. Using large fabric scissors, she unrepentantly cut him out of his remaining clothes. She left his pants alone, however, as there didn't appear to be any wounds on his lower body and there was no need to remove all of his dignity with his cloth trappings. She did, gently (and with a great deal of embarrassment) nudge his inner thighs with her fingertips to see if the major arteries in them were still intact. They were. As an afterthought, Lucy and Virgo removed his boots.

"Thanks, Virgo." The Spirit Mage set the scissors on the nightstand next to the bed. She might need them again later. "Now I need a tub of hot water, and lots of clean towels from the bathroom."

Virgo nodded, and went to retrieve the requested items.

Lucy, in the meantime, dumped the contents of Wendy's kit over the bed adjacent to her patient's. Spreading the items around, she located everything she would need next: antiseptic, a large curved needle, surgical thread, surgical scissors, cotton swabs, a small lighter, copious amounts of bandages and several devices that looked somewhat like a vice or a large clamp.

A bottle gleamed and caught Lucy's eye. Reading the label, her eyes widened. Blood replenishment pills! She placed the treasure on the nightstand along with the other supplies she'd gathered. Then she removed her belt with her keys and Fleuve D'Etoiles, setting them on the other bed next to the upended bag.

Returning with the water and towels, Virgo set them on the floor next to the bed. "Now, Virgo, we need to use alcohol to disinfect the wounds, and then we need to use a dry cloth to soak up the blood." After a moment's thought, she added, "Apply pressure with the dry cloth."

Moistening a towel, Lucy glanced at the first of the ragged gashes. She gulped. Was that… was that a bone? Her stomach did a nauseous little flip at the sight. Gritting her teeth, she shook herself. Now was not the time to get squeamish.

She had no sooner touched the wound with the edge of the cloth when a hard, painful grip around her wrist forced her to drop it before she'd even swiped it once. Hissing, she drew her arm back but the pressure on it only tightened. Her eyes darted to the tawny, clawed hand restricting her movement, and then swept up to Cobra's single dark blue eye.

The former Oracion Seis member was wide-awake now and balefully staring at her. He bared his fangs at Lucy. "What do you think you're doing? Get the hell away from me, wretch," he growled.

Lucy tried to wrench her hand from his grip, but even in his condition he retained enough strength to hold her in place. "You can read minds, right?" she snarled back at him. "Then you know what I'm trying to do. And if you really wanted me to go, you would've released my wrist by now."

He considered her for a long moment, and then let go. His lip curled in a snarl of his own. Then he closed his eye.

Taking that for acceptance, Lucy picked up the towel once again. Mercilessly, she rubbed the gash she'd been contemplating earlier. All pretenses to gentleness gone, she cleaned the wound while Cobra hissed at her through his teeth at the pain.

Once the first of the four was clean, she swapped towels and started on the next. Virgo took a dry towel and pressed down on the one Lucy had finished with. A low whine emanated from the Dragon Slayer's throat, which was quickly strangled as the man realized he was making the noise.

Completing the second, Lucy made short work of the remaining two while Virgo spread the weight on the wounds. As she reached for the antiseptic and cotton swabs, that irritating hand clamped down her wrist again, forestalling further action.

"No," Cobra rasped, fully aware of what she intended to do with those items. He tried to sit up, but Virgo leaned more of her weight on his wounds. Falling back into the mattress, he fixed his one good eye on the Celestial Mage.

This time, when Lucy jerked her hand away he let her go. "I have to clean your wounds again to stitch them up – if sepsis and rot sets in all my hard work will be for naught. You need to stop acting like a child. You're a full-grown man, and a Dragon Slayer besides. You're durable." Unconsciously, she echoed Rogue's earlier assessment of Sting.

He snapped his teeth weakly at her, curiously ignoring the Celestial Spirit's presence entirely.

Lucy's brown orbs narrowed at him. "That's quite enough of that. You'll behave now, or else I will…"

Lip curling, he growled, "What could you possibly do to me, Fairy Tail chit?"

She formed an image in her mind of her slapping his open wounds with the palms of her hands.

He visibly flinched at the thought. "You wouldn't."

She growled back at him. "I would. And you know it."

He did. He could hear it in her soul. And he was too weak to honestly put up much of a fight or to stop her. Resisting her at this point would lead to worsening his condition.

Although he couldn't understand why the blonde was helping him, he decided to just let her do what she wanted. It wasn't help if he didn't request it. The girl could do whatever pleased her; any benefit from those actions would be incidental.

Sensing his reluctant acquiescence, Lucy proceeded to soak the cotton swabs with the antiseptic. "Virgo."

The Spirit understood, and she stood up. None too gently swiping the towels off the Poison Dragon Slayer, she bowed to her key owner. "Will there be anything else, Princess?"

Lucy regarded the man in the bed. "Are you done protesting or do I need her to shackle you into immobility?"

Cobra blinked up at her, and nodded slowly. His glare never lessened, but it was clear that he would comply. For now.

Pursing her lips, Lucy looked at her loyal Spirit. "Can you get me a glass of water for him to drink later? And then, can you start clearing the downstairs area? I want to turn this place into an infirmary. There would be little point though if people injured themselves trying to get up here."

Virgo bowed again. "As you wish, Princess." She left for a moment and returned with the water, which she then placed on a different nightstand than the medical supplies. Task completed, she disappeared out the door and down the stairs to start on her other mission.

Without further ado, Lucy swabbed the wounds with the soaked cotton. Cobra's hands fisted into the sheets as he tried to hold his body motionless throughout the severe stinging, his claws shredding the cloth.

"Sorry, Cobra," Lucy suddenly apologized, surprising him. "I have to do this."

He didn't reply at first, keeping his gaze directed at the ceiling. After a few minutes, he replied, "Erik."

Lucy paused in her ministrations. "Excuse me?"

"My name," he growled, venom leaking into his words. "My name is Erik."

He had shocked them both with the profession. Erik was a name he'd long abandoned at the Tower of Heaven along with the little slave boy who'd borne it. The only people who knew it now besides himself were Midnight and Kinana/Cubelios. He'd never felt the need to share it with anyone else, as he wished to leave both it and his past behind him – where they both belonged.

Until now.

It felt like she'd earned the right to know who he was.

"It's nice to meet you, Erik, though I wish it were under better circumstances."

Erik could read her mind, so how was it possible for this woman to keep shocking him? He was almost awed by her sincerity. Almost. He wasn't _that_ delirious with pain and blood loss.

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia, but please, just call me Lucy." His eye flicked to the blonde woman.

A stray thought of hers made the corner of his mouth twitch upward. "Oh? Why not Blondie?"

She froze in place, and then fixated him with a flat look. "Really? If you must give me a nickname, can't you at least choose something else? Something more original, perhaps?"

He considered it. "Maybe. Which do you prefer more, Top-Heavy, Udders, or Meat? Does Tow-Head work for you?"

"…Blondie is just fine."

"Too bad. I feel partial to Meat." He was enjoying her irritation.

Finished with disinfecting the slashes, she reached for a vice. She held it in front of him. "This is going to hurt." Without further warning, she fixed it on either side of the first wound and cranked it, drawing the lips of skin together. She repeated the process with the remaining three clamps, placing them equally along the length of the gash.

Leaving the devices in place, she then grabbed the needle, holding it carefully with her fingertips. Next she took the lighter, popped the top and flicked it on. Holding the open flame under the needle, she heated it until it glowed red. Removing the lighter, she doused the flame and set it aside. She threaded the needle, and silently thanked her father for all of the needlepoint and embroidery lessons she'd endured throughout her childhood.

She looked Erik straight in the eye, and handed him a dry towel. "Put this between your teeth and bite down. I don't want you to swallow your tongue or shatter your teeth." As he did so, she took a deep breath.

They never broke eye contact.

"I am going to tell you now – I don't have any anesthetic. This will hurt like a son of a bitch. I need you to trust me and hold as still as possible. Alright, Erik?"

He nodded.

Finally, Lucy wrenched her gaze from his. Taking a steadying breath, she consciously stilled her hands. _'I've done this plenty of times during my pre-Fairy Tail traveling days,'_ she reminded herself, aware that Erik could hear every word.

She pierced his skin with the needle, and started to sew the lips of loose skin together like a ripped trouser seam.

Cobra screamed into his gag.

Lucy didn't flinch, and carefully worked her way down the wound. She kept her mind focused on the task at hand, and the herculean efforts her patient was going through just to remain still. It took a very long time for her to reach the end of the gash. Tying off the thread, she gazed at the results of her effort. It looked like it would hold, but the only way to tell was to remove the clamps.

Doing so, she watched the skin pull against the thread holding it together. Puckered and pink, the stitches held.

Three more to go.

Refastening the clamps on the next slash, she felt Erik tremble, almost imperceptible, beneath her fingertips. Clenching her teeth, she rethreaded the needle and began again.

* * *

_**The Memories Are Shadows  
Ink On The Page** _

_**-Five Finger Death Punch "Far From Home"** _

* * *

Cobra was intimately familiar with pain.

He'd been cut before. Slashed far deeper than these wounds the Celestial Mage was trying to repair. Burned, and whipped as well.

At the Tower of Heaven, he'd undergone experiences no living being should ever have to endure. Even after he left the Tower, he'd been subjected to Brain and Zero's unique brand of tender care. He recalled, too, the Pink-Haired Fire Freak and the Red-Headed Monster succinctly handing him his ass on two separate occasions (falling off of a floating fish castle was _not_ fun). Then being beaten in prison by the guards after both defeats.

This had nothing on any of it.

Bright flares of agony erupted with every prick of the needle on his skin. Over and over he felt it slide through his flesh, the thread gliding along the newly torn path.

He wanted to thrash against it, put up some sort of a fight. Struggling was the one thing he could not afford to do, but it was the only thing he desired at the moment. To escape the pain however he might, consequences be damned.

Then it stopped, and he released a shaky breath into his makeshift gag. An ache spread throughout his body from holding his muscles as taut as a wire. Numbly, he took stock of the condition of his throat. He must have been screaming for a long time; his larynx was as raw as if someone had taken sandpaper to the inside of it and tried to claw their way out.

It was almost funny; he hadn't even noticed he'd screamed at all.

That had been far more painful than it should've been. This wasn't the first wound he'd endured, let alone been sewn up for. However, he didn't possess the wherewithal to pursue the why at the moment.

The clamps released and he wondered if it was finally over.

Then Lucy reaffixed them to the next gash and he realized that they were only getting started. He mewled, then. He couldn't help it. He didn't even possess the strength to be ashamed of it. In that moment, he was so _very, very afraid._

As the next round began, his mind spun wildly out of control. He was vaguely aware that he was screaming again.

In a last ditch effort to escape the pain, he retreated into himself and his memories of the past.

* * *

_**All The Places I've Been  
And Things I've Seen** _

_**-Five Finger Death Punch "Far From Home"** _

* * *

Unlike his cellmates, his home hadn't been razed to the ground by insane cultists. No blood or death had graced his entry into the Tower of Heaven, nothing to justify the fact that he was there.

Little Erik, unlike the others, had been sold to the mages that ran the Tower in those days. By his own family.

That first night, he was tossed into a cell alone, with no one around to comfort him or to tell the young, confused child what the hell was going on.

And Hell it soon became.

Put to work, he struggled to understand where he was and why he was doing this. Answers didn't come when he asked the supervisors, only the stinging lashes of their whips. He quickly learned not to ask questions.

The first of the others to arrive and share his cell was another boy about his age, with curious two-toned hair. Once the newcomer had introduced himself as Macbeth, they formed a fast friendship. After a couple of months, Sorano had joined them.

It was about this time that their guards decided that the prisoners didn't need as much food as they were being allotted. Although he didn't do anything about it at first, he found his stomach emptier and emptier with the passing days.

When he'd complained about the guards stealing his food to the supervisors, they'd named him a liar. Then, they'd made an example of him. Dragging him to the stocks, they'd forced him into the device and left him there overnight. Before they did so, however, they gave him ten lashes with a whip.

Skin torn on his back, red and burning, he'd endured the long night. The next morning, he'd gone back to work with the rest and not a word of complaint passed his lips.

When he returned to the cell that night, he had been surprised to find the food rations back up to normal and new guards in place. Erik had wondered why he'd been punished only for his desire to be fulfilled.

Then he realized that he'd been punished merely for complaining, the validity of his point having nothing to do with it at all.

The disgraced guards had returned in the middle of the night to the cell.

What happened after that, Erik couldn't recall. It was a locked and bolted, several ton steel door in his mind, holding the memories beyond it. He wasn't allowed in. He didn't mind, though – indeed he was grateful for its presence.

Unfortunately, his friends' new wounds the following morning was something he could never forget. That and the overwhelming sense of guilt that accompanied it.

Eventually, his life settled into a pattern. He would wake in the morning, eat his sparse rations, go to work on bringing the Tower of Heaven to its completion, and then he would return to his cell to eat and sleep. It was almost a comforting routine; as long as he kept his head down, the punishments and torture would remain at a minimum. His friends learned this lesson as well as he had.

More children joined the cell.

Then something strange started to happen to his hearing. At first, he could sense when a blow was coming from the supervisors or guards before they made any moves. It was helpful to know when they would strike him, so he could turn from it at the last second and lessen the pain.

Before long, he started to hear actual voices in his head. Just whispers at first, but then they became stronger and stronger until Erik could recognize them coming from his cellmates or whoever happened to be right next to him. It was almost fun to listen to the inner workings of his companions' minds.

It soon took a turn for the worse. Emotions started filtering through – fear, sorrow, rage, and above all the others, pain. Then the memories came.

And then he felt someone die for the first time.

His mind was blasted from all directions by other people's pain and his range of awareness spread. First it was just the people closest to him, his friends and cellmates, the guards, the supervisors, and the ones he worked beside. Then he started hearing the residents of the next cell over, and finally the entire block.

He hadn't known it was magic. Even if he had, there was no one to train him on how to control it. His young mind had no defenses against the pain that filled the Tower of Heaven.

To this day, Erik wasn't sure how he'd held onto his mind up until the day he found Cubelios.

While digging in the rocks, he'd encountered a small purple serpent fleeing another worker's pickaxe. Rescuing her had been second nature to him, and she'd gratefully hidden under his tattered clothes. Once he had returned to the cell, she'd slithered out but hadn't left him.

He was startled to find that he couldn't hear her. He could sense some basic things from her, such as her mood, her gratefulness to him for saving her, and the fact that she was female to begin with. Her voice, though, was lost to him.

All attempts to read her failed, but he wasn't discouraged in the effort. Discovering that when he concentrated hard enough on her he could block out everyone else had been what saved his mind and life. Her blessed silence was a balm.

After Jellal's takeover of the Tower, he'd been brought before a dark skinned man with shockingly white hair.

Then he'd mistakenly read the man's mind, despite Cubelios' presence and given himself away.

The slave boy's talent had been a pleasant surprise for Brain.

And that was that.

Taken away from the Tower (and smuggling his serpentine friend out of it), he began his tutelage under Brain, peppered with Zero's guidance. His former cellmates were already there, and happy to see him join them. The bond they'd forged in the Tower remained strong. In hindsight, Cobra knew that it in fact rivaled that of the Fairy Tail Guild's feelings for each other.

Fear of Brain and Zero had a great deal to do with why they stayed together, though.

Cubelios grew larger by the day, and her presence was eventually revealed to Brain. The leader didn't seem to mind her overmuch. In fact, it's what led to the idea of implanting Erik with a dragon's lacrima to turn him into a Second Generation Dragon Slayer.

The implantation of the dragon lacrima was one of the worst things he'd ever experienced. Feeling the magic thrumming under his skin, however, more than made up for the pain it had put him through when his body had tried to reject it.

He thought it might have been about this time that he stopped caring about other people's pain and fear, despite his ability to hear it.

No, that wasn't quite right.

He began to enjoy others' pain and fear. No longer weak, he couldn't stand to see it in those around him. Then, he started to revel in being the cause of it. It infuriated him, the way normal people just kept living their lives, unaware of the struggles to survive happening all around them. What had occurred at the Tower of Heaven. What continued to occur on that accursed island – despite the new management it was under. So he would visit the horror and terror of the Tower upon the ignorant masses. Somewhere, in the dark recesses of his mind, he believed that if he became the Tower, embodied all it represented, he wouldn't fear it anymore.

What a load of bullshit that turned out to be. The fearsome Cobra was just as afraid of it as Erik. Probably always would be. The Tower had carved out a place in his heart and taken up residence there long ago. Although the original structure was now gone, Cobra still carried it with him wherever he went. There is no escape from The Tower of Heaven; there never had been one. Both Cobra and Erik had known that all along.

A key part of his training had been refining the use of his inborn Soul Listening Magic that had revealed its presence at the Tower. Although it was a passive magical ability, it had great combat potential. Through intense training and research, he was able to find ways to control it somewhat.

It was at this point that his desire to hear Cubelios' voice truly manifested. He'd always wondered what her voice was like. Extensive research revealed the fact that he could hear as much as he did of her soul because she wasn't really a snake but a cursed human.

He had wanted to meet her so badly as her true self. He had wanted to hear the voice of the one who saved him in the Tower.

When the Allied Forces of Guilds assembled to take them down, he'd scoffed. Honestly, Angel hadn't even needed to use Gemini to impersonate one of their members. Just as they'd done their homework on them, the Oracion Seis had looked into their opponents.

Interestingly, the opponent they'd all wanted to destroy was the blonde wizard being sent from Fairy Tail. It wasn't because she was strong, or had a large number of gold keys, or because of whom her teammates were.

It was because the surveillance image revealed that she used a whip.

Whips held a special place of hatred in their hearts. Yet another little present from the past.

Angel had been over the moon when she'd been assigned to crush her fellow Celestial Mage.

After their defeat and Nirvana's destruction, they'd all found themselves in prison. It reminded them so much of the Tower they felt sick. It was like they'd never left. They weren't forced to slave away and were mostly just left to rot in their individual cells – but the abuse from the guards had a far too familiar feel to it.

For Cobra, though, it was unbearable without Cubelios by his side. The magic restraints kept a damper on his Soul Listening Magic but he felt the loss of his friend keenly. Silence was not something to which he was accustomed, and it nearly broke him as the voices once had. Unable to hear aught but his own thoughts, he retreated into them.

They had heard the news about Fairy Tail's disappearance from Tenrou Island even within Era's prison. How a dragon had come and wiped the island off the map.

When they escaped, Midnight had needed a Celestial Mage in order to complete his plans.

There was never any question about who it would be.

They would wait as long as they had to for Fairy Tail to reappear. There was no doubt in their minds that they would show up again. The girl with the whip was going to be sacrificed if it was the last thing they did.

A truly special place of hatred, indeed.

Being defeated, in the end, after all they'd gone through was simply embarrassing.

For Cobra, though, and Erik, too, there had been one bright light in all of it.

Kinana. Cubelios' true self.

She hadn't remembered him, but her affection for him had survived the breaking of her curse.

He'd finally gotten to hear her voice. It was worth going back to prison for the chance to preserve that indescribably lovely sound.

* * *

_**A Million Stories That Made Up  
A Million Shattered Dreams** _

_**-Five Finger Death Punch "Far From Home"** _

* * *

_Everyone leaves._

Ultramarine strands of hair trailed in Wendy's face but she didn't dare pause in her ministrations to the individual before her to tuck the errant locks away. Sweat plastered the rest of her hair to her brow as she relentlessly pumped magic through her veins and out her hands. Light emanated from her palms, the healing, cerulean glow enveloping her patient.

_Don't leave._

"Compress!" she commanded the other mage assisting her. Wendy knew not his name, nor that of the person they were trying to save for neither had given them to her. "C'mon." Her plea to the wounded man didn't seem to reach. "You can do this; just hold on a little longer."

_Please don't go._

Despair clung to her soul like her hair to her skin. But there was no place for tears within the performance of a healer's duties. Only after everything that could be done had would tears be called for. Porlyusica had taught her that. Instead, the Sky Dragon Slayer spoke to her patient, begging and pleading with him. "You have friends and family waiting for you to recover. You can't leave them behind. They'll miss you. You're not allowed to go! Don't leave us behind."

A hand was laid gently on her shoulder. "That's enough. He's gone." Her assistant looked on sadly as she shook her head, vehement in her denial.

"No!" Magic poured out of her, her skin thrumming with the power she was summoning. "I can still…!"

_Everyone leaves._

Arms enveloped her. She turned into the warmth the other mage offered her, the azure glow of her magic fading. Sobs escaped their confinement in her chest and her small form shook with the force of them.

He stroked her hair as the little girl cried and he couldn't help but think that she was far too young for this. She reminded him of his daughter, safe at home with her mother in Oshibana. "Thank you for trying so hard to save my friend," he said softly. "I'll never forget the lengths you went through to save him."

Wendy whimpered. "He's your friend? What is…" She hiccupped. "What was his name?"

"Darryl. His name is – was – Darryl."

She shuddered again. "How long have you known him?"

"Just this morning," he admitted, steering the young mage away from the corpse. Gently, he set her down on a large broken stone. "We ended up fighting those little monsters together. Now, you should rest," he scolded the Dragon Slayer as he would his own child.

The Fairy Tail Mage attempted to rise. "I'm fine!" she asserted, though her legs wobbled. "I can keep going!"

He placed both his hands on her shoulders and forced her to sit once more. "No, you're going to rest. Take this opportunity to eat the air and recover your strength. I'm sure you have someone who's waiting for you, too. Take care of yourself so they won't worry, okay?"

"Lucy-nee," Wendy whispered. It was the first time she'd called the blonde that aloud, though she'd thought it many times before. Where was Lucy? Was she alright? Wendy hadn't seen her after Zirconis had flung the older girl.

The other mage gave her a lopsided smile. "Your sister? If she's anything like you, I'm sure she's fine." He paused, listening. "I think I hear someone calling me." Glancing at Wendy in concern, he asked, "Will you be okay on your own for a bit?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. But once I'm feeling better, I'm going to heal more people."

Her determination made him laugh. "Just don't strain yourself."

As he turned to leave, she called out, "What's your name?"

"Lorn!" He waved at her over his shoulder. "Take care! Good bye!"

"I will! Good bye!" she returned, as he disappeared from her sight. Before she really had a chance to relax, though, she heard someone call her name. "Chelia!" she greeted the other Sky Slayer as she approached. "Here, let me restore your stamina!"

The Lamia Scale Mage smiled at Wendy. "Sure! Thanks!" Warmth suffused her as her stamina returned. Once Wendy was done, she sat beside her friend. "Mind if I stay and rest with you for a while?"

Wendy smiled. "I would like that."

And so they did, the pair quietly consuming the air they needed to replenish their magical energy. Even if they were taking a short break, there were still people being brought in from the battle that needed urgent care. But Lorn had been right – Wendy couldn't afford to overtax herself if she wanted Lucy not to worry. She loved Lucy with everything she had.

Too soon, Chelia stood up. Offering a hand to her friend, the Sky God Slayer pulled the Sky Dragon Slayer to her feet as well. Together, they headed towards a line of stretchers.

"Yo! Sky Children!" a blonde man greeted them as they passed by his observation spot. Sting almost laughed at their utter surprise when they jumped at the salutation.

Chelia recovered from her shock first. With a gasp, she flew to Sting's side, healing the wound there.

Sting let out a breath as the pain faded. "Whew! Thanks! That feels so much better!" As the girl moved to his leg, he held up a hand to forestall her. "No, no need to waste your magic on that. I'm sure there are people with far worse injuries than mine that need attending to. I'll just get someone to set it later," he cajoled as the two healers eyed him with worry.

"Are you sure?" Wendy asked with trepidation. Her healer's soul hated leaving anyone untreated if she could help.

"I'm sure," he stated firmly. "But if you could help my friend, that would be great. He got caught in some dragon pincers and I'm not sure just how badly he's injured. He won't talk to me about it."

"I'm fine, Sting," a dark-haired man said, toneless. He plunked a water bottle down on the Light Dragon Slayer's head. "Here's your water."

Wendy stiffened at the sight of the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "Chelia, I'll take care of Rogue-san – why don't you go see if anyone else needs help?"

She barely acknowledged her friend's agreement and subsequent departure. Wendy was focused solely on the counterpart of the man who tried to murder her sister – the man who killed Future Lucy. The part of her soul that was dragon, not healer, roared in challenge at the other Dragon Slayer.

Her sudden change in demeanor did not go unnoticed by the other two Dragon Slayers present, though they did not remark upon it.

"People died," she said, her voice lacking any real accusal; it was a mere statement of facts.

Rogue flinched at her words. "I know." Shifting his balance, he added, "I'm sorry."

There was so much misery coming off him that Wendy was struck silent for a few moments. "Apologize to Lucy-nee."

He nodded. "I will. To everyone."

The dragon inside her soul calmed. There was something odd about the Shadow Dragon Slayer and his counterpart, Wendy decided. She couldn't help but find differences between them, for despite her very short interactions with both they were rather apparent. In her mind, she separated the two individuals with the same line she used to divide Mystogan and Jellal. They possessed the same face, but were different people entirely. If Lucy accepted his eventual apology, Wendy would find it in her to forgive him as well.

And there was little doubt that Lucy would forgive him in Wendy's mind. It was Lucy, after all.

"Okay," she said, soft blue light swirling around her hands. "Where does it hurt the most?"

Sting watched the scene with interested concern. For a moment there, he'd thought the diminutive Dragon Slayer was going to attack his partner. "So…" he finally said, "Blondie is your sister?"

Wendy lit up, but did not cease in her efforts to repair the damage to Rogue's internal organs. "Have you seen her?"

"Yeah, Rogue and I both," Sting replied. "She seemed fine."

The Sky Dragon Slayer sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

After a short hesitation, Sting asked, because Rogue clearly wasn't going to, "What exactly did… did… did _he_ do to Blondie?" He had trouble articulating the moniker 'Future Rogue', for he knew his friend would never become that monster no matter what anyone else thought. He had complete and total faith in the man. "She couldn't look Rogue in the eye."

"He hurt her." It was a vast understatement, but Wendy couldn't bring herself to tell these two the complete truth. Not when they were so very torn up about it already. She'd already reached her cruelty quota for the day.

Nothing more was said between the trio, and once Rogue passed a final inspection Wendy took herself off to find more patients.

As she passed some people moving a lifeless body, she paused as she caught a familiar scent. She glanced down at the corpse just before its face was covered with a sheet.

_Lorn._

He'd been dead for hours, judging by the smell.

Wendy moved on. There was still work to be done. Tears could wait for later.

_Everyone leaves._

_But some at least say farewell, first._

* * *

_**The Faces Of People  
I'll Never See Again** _

_**-Five Finger Death Punch "Far From Home"** _

* * *

Lucy wiped the sweat from her brow. While she had been working to save Erik's life, the sun had risen high in the sky and the burning radiance was making the room an uncomfortable temperature. She would have to see to the cooling lacrima later.

She glanced down at her patient. He'd passed out at some point from the pain. Without his rigid self control keeping his reflexes in check, it had actually been harder to sew him up than when he'd been conscious. Virgo had returned upstairs and shackled him to the bed frame to keep him still.

Now the worst was over.

The tired mage wiped away the last of the blood on Cobra's torso. She wasn't sure if she should reapply the antiseptic or not. Deciding to leave the matter as it was until a professional could look at what she'd done, she patted the man dry. Tears had leaked from the corner of his good eye. With as much gentleness as she possessed, she dried them as well.

With a gesture, Virgo understood that Lucy wanted her to release the Dragon Slayer from his bindings. The man groaned once she had.

"I have cleared the lower floor of obstructions, Princess. Do you require anything further?" the Spirit inquired, bowing.

Lucy winced. "Sorry, but yes. Can you run to the courtyard and let them know that we're setting up an infirmary here?"

"Yes, of course."

"Oh!" Lucy realized, stopping her Spirit. "If you see Wendy, Chelia, or Porlyusica can you ask them to make their way here?"

Virgo bowed again. "I will." Then the Spirit turned and jumped out the broken second story window to the ground below.

Another bead of sweat ran down Lucy's face. "Good grief," she muttered. "Why does no one I know use the stairs?"

Her arms itched. Glancing down, she stared at her hands. Once again, they were covered in someone else's blood. For several long moments she stood there, entranced by the now cool essence of life that stained her skin. She wasn't sure what she felt, looking at the side effect of her work. She wasn't sure she felt anything at all. With a sense of detachment, she observed the dark circles underneath her nails where the blood had pooled and then crusted over. A great deal of scrubbing would be required to fully remove all of it.

It was almost as if she were looking at someone else. As if the palms and digits didn't belong to her.

Erik could probably tell her how she felt, if she asked him to listen. It was also possible that he would scoff or laugh at her foolish request.

It was odd, she decided. Cobra and Erik. Her recollections from the days of the Alliance were foggy when it came to the Poison Dragon Slayer, as she hadn't much contact with him at the time. She did remember when his snake had bitten Erza though, and she well remembered her panic and her terror when Erza wanted them to cut off her arm. She remembered that man as someone who had laughed at her friend's agony.

During the Infinity Castle incident, he once again hadn't really interacted with her. Seven years seemed to have changed him quite a bit. Physical differences aside (she was really curious about the scar and the now pointy ears – mostly the ears), during her brief observations he had struck her as a much calmer individual. Or was subdued a better description for it? He was all seriousness and controlled malevolence.

Now she had spoken to him. Had saved his life. Honestly, given his prickly personality, she had been surprised that he'd allowed her to help. Dragon Slayers in general were a proud species, if the three adult males in her guild were anything to go by. Hints of that same pride were present in Sting and Rogue (well, more outright in Sting than his quiet partner). Wendy at times could be all fang and claw – especially if it meant protecting someone dear to her. All them were exceedingly stubborn, so wouldn't it hold true for the individual before her?

Erik or Cobra? Cobra or Erik? The person who bore the name Cobra seemed very different from the one who wore Erik. Which one was the real one? Or were they both him? If that was the case, she'd use both names for the man. She suspected that the use of Erik was a private matter, besides. Cobra for others, a defense put up to protect himself. Erik for… For what? What was she? Someone who had saved his life? No – she hadn't done that yet when he entrusted his name to her.

Entrusted. That must have been it. It was a sign of trust. Perhaps it was also appreciation for caring enough to try to save him.

Was it wrong to feel a connection with the man?

' _Or maybe I'm an idiot who's over thinking things,'_ she thought. Hiccupping, she surprised herself. A hand to her cheek revealed tears shed, unnoticed, during her musing. She rubbed them away with the back of her hand, or tried to. Instead, the salty water rehydrated the blood coating her skin, leaving a crimson smear across her face.

Gathering up the surgical implements she had used, she dumped them in the tub and set them to soaking. Honestly, she didn't know the first thing about their care. All she could recall was that they needed to be cleaned immediately. Natsu had borrowed them once without Wendy's knowledge and used them to clean a fish. The little Dragon Slayer hadn't really cared about the theft until she realized that they hadn't been properly tidied up afterward and were completely ruined. She'd had to purchase an entirely new set. After that, she'd given Natsu the silent treatment for a week – driving the other Dragon Slayer bonkers trying to figure out just what he'd done wrong.

Shaking herself, she slowly walked to the sink. Turning on the faucet, she thrust her hands under the warm water. Rusty red and brown liquid sloughed off, swirling around the drain. The colours of his hair, and her eyes. She felt a small smile tug at her lips as her guild mark became visible once more.

Checking her appearance in the mirror, she wiped away the blood mark. After, she stared at her face in the glass. Water continued to flow out of the tap and down the sink drain unnoted. She rubbed the spot where Cobra/Erik's blood had been. Much like with her counterpart's, it felt like it was still there no matter how hard she scrubbed.

Dark bags hung beneath her eyes. Spider webs of red were woven into the orbs. Her eyelids, lips, and cheeks all felt puffy from her tears and the stress of the long night.

Lucy splashed her face with the running water. Turning off the tap, she toweled herself dry again. Clear droplets escaped the wrath of the cloth and slid down her front to hide in her cleavage. The mage left them there. It was a little uncomfortable, but the bathroom door wasn't shut and her patient could wake up at any moment. She wasn't going to stick the towel down her shirt to capture the water drops.

It felt like the swelling in her face had gone down. Feeling better, she left the restroom and returned to the dark mage's bedside.

She eyed the warm glass of water on the nightstand. Shrugging, she grabbed and chugged it, feeling immensely better afterward. Leaving the glass behind, she left the room and slowly descended the stairs. Once she was on the ground floor, she made her way behind the bar area to the kitchen.

Filling a pitcher of water, she grabbed some mild salty crackers, and another glass. Then she returned to the upstairs bedroom.

She placed the second glass next to the first and poured cold water into it, and then refilled hers. Chugging it, she left the pitcher there and walked over to Cobra with the crackers and his glass. Setting them on the table, she read the label on the blood replenishment pills.

Unscrewing the lid, she shook the bottle until three pills dropped into her palm. Placing one back into the container, she replaced the lid and set the bottle down.

Lucy nudged the Dragon Slayer's shoulder gently. "Hey, Erik. You need to wake up."

He groaned and muttered something under his breath.

The blonde mage's eyebrows cranked up at the sound. _'Did he just say, "Kinana?"'_

Cobra's left eye shot open and he glared at her. "Not a word," he rasped. Then he furrowed his brow further at the condition his throat was in.

"Here's some water." Lucy handed him the glass, which he attempted to drink from only to spill it down his chin and up his nose – somehow at the same time, with the same movement.

He gasped and sputtered.

"Let me help you sit up."

Clearly very embarrassed about the situation, he did let her. He made no move to assist; the water glass remaining clutched in his hands like it was his only lifeline. When she'd propped him up with pillows under his back, he tried to drink the water again. This time, he had a great deal more success with the endeavor. Without saying anything, he handed it back to her.

Lucy sighed, and refilled it at the silent command. She wondered if his freaky mind-reading-listening thing could work both ways.

"It doesn't."

Water spilled down her arm from the glass as she jolted. Glaring, she concentrated on forming an image in her mind. One where she slowly pulled out every one of his stitches. And then sewed him up again.

The man turned very pale, despite his naturally dark skin. He gulped and decided to be polite… ish. "Water. Please."

With a smirk that would've made his younger-self proud, she did so. Along with the desired, cooling liquid, she pressed two small capsules into his palm. "Take these. They're blood replenishing meds." When it looked like he might refuse just to be contrary, Lucy growled at him. "You are seriously just as bad as Natsu. Are all Dragon Slayers like this?"

Offended at the comparison, Cobra took the medicine. The flaming brat had only defeated him in the past due to the fact that he'd screamed in Cobra's very sensitive ears, and then Brain had attacked him from behind. Natsu didn't stand a chance against him then, and certainly not now that he had seven years more to gain in strength. His defeat to Erza was a fluke, as well, since right at the end he'd heard Cubelios for the first time and had gotten distracted. The Rune Knights only arrested him the second time because he was protecting Kinana.

The woman watched him intently, to make sure he didn't palm or cheek the pills instead of swallowing them.

He had debated doing precisely that, too. Just to see her reaction. Cobra was beginning to find her rage face a vast (and potentially fatal) source of amusement. No matter how much he had matured in the past seven years, some personality traits could not be dispensed with in their entirety. It helped that she had a really fun, expressive face, and an almost draconic aura of fury. He could see why that blonde Dragon Slayer kept teasing her. Maybe he should start calling her Blondie, too. Or follow through with Meat. Just to see what would happen.

Then again, during their fights with him, both the Pink-Haired Freak and the Red-Headed Monster, in the back of their minds, had been thinking about what their teammate would do to them if they didn't resolve the issues at hand in time for the blonde to pay her rent. The pair had very vivid imaginations when it came to the punishments Lucy would inflict upon them.

Maybe he should just leave her alone.

"I need to take a piss," he announced, giving her a cold stare.

Or maybe he'd never been very good at _not_ poking monsters with sticks.

* * *

_**And I Can't Seem  
To Find My Way Home ** _

_**-Five Finger Death Punch "Far From Home"** _


	4. Soul Link

**I Can See You, Old Friend**  
**You're Right There**  
 **Old Friend I Swear To You**  
 **That Our Bond Will Never Break**

_**-Lyra's Song in "Song of The Stars"** _

* * *

Cobra had been expecting the Celestial Mage to get flustered, either in embarrassment or annoyance at his implied request.

So it was somewhat disappointing when she took it in stride. Deflated, he watched with impassiveness while she summoned a Spirit.

He had never much cared for Celestial Spirits, even when Angel had summoned them – no, especially when Angel was the summoner. The race must have been closely related to humans at one point, since he could hear their souls. However, whenever he did so, there was a strange interference in the sound. Almost as if he was trying to listen through a defective communications lacrima. It made his brain itch (a far more frustrating feeling than it sounded). The effect was only compounded with the addition of more Spirits.

Angel, early on in their training, had delighted in summoning as many as she could using her own power and Brain's contraptions (usually several silver keys) just to see his reactions to the reverberations of their souls (ironically, it had improved her own magical capabilities). Brain had quickly put a stop to it after Cobra had shown up to two meetings in a single week bleeding from his ears – the result of having attempted to claw out his own eardrums. A futile effort, as Cobra eventually discovered. He wasn't listening with his ears to begin with. His soul was doing the listening, and communicating it to his brain in a way that it could process the information. It explained why he could "see" memories, as well.

This particular Spirit was more annoying than most. For many reasons.

"Your loyal knight has arrived, my Princess! Tell me, are you finally ready to accept my marriage proposal?"

It was like the stupid sideliners had returned. With a persistent brain itch and a distinctly feline odor.

There was no way he was going to put up with this shit right now. He hadn't just ordered a trip to the toilet to be an asshole (although that was a definite bonus); he actually needed to use the damn thing.

Before Lucy could respond to her ginger-haired Spirit, Cobra snapped, "Hey. Fleabag. Bathroom. Now. Get me there."

In fascination, Cobra watched as the man's hair bristled like a cat's. It was completely standing on end.

Suddenly, the Poison Dragon Slayer blanched as his mind was assaulted by a flood of images and sounds. A wave of colors engulfed his vision. He clutched his ears, and squeezed his eye shut. Hunkered down, he ignored the twinges of pain from his sutures and tried not to drown in the sea of voices and memories not his own.

" _I never would've imagined that the Zodiac's Golden Bull would be such a pervert…"_

" _Leave it to Aquarius to hurl her waves against friend and foe alike!"_

" _Now you need a name… Oh, I know! Come here, Plue!"_

" _Virgo is not a gorilla!"_

" _Well, one of Lyra's talents is singing songs that relate to what her audience is feeling…"_

" _Even so…this isn't right! You didn't kill Karen! It was just an accident! It wasn't your fault! Open, Gate of the Lion! Take Leo back to the Celestial World! Please! Open! Please… It's not okay! I can't just sit here while my friend disappears in front of my eyes!"_

" _Pyxis! This is your time to shine! Her compass is completely useless!"_

" _If you have a problem with Cancer, you're gonna freak when you meet Taurus."_

" _I had no idea you were such an excellent dancer, Capricorn!"_

" _Don't take this the wrong way, Horologium, but I think your danger detection thingy needs an overhaul."_

" _Oh, wow! You're like an archery genius, Sagittarius!"_

" _You're up, Scorpio! Shoot her down!"_

" _Just transform into me, Gemini! …Why are you only wearing a bath towel?!"_

" _Please, let her go. I beg you… She should be with Loke and we can make that happen for them! Do what you want with me. Just release Aries so she can find her own happiness!"_

" _It wasn't me! Grandpa Crux had been studying the gate all this time! And he just finished his analysis! This device is a mix of magic from the Book of Zeref and Celestial Spirit magic!"_

" _Any decent Celestial wizard treats her Spirits as partners, not as shields!"_

" _If the 'primordial magic' my mom talked about is real, then it's something Hades can never obtain. It's something we can't even picture. It's something that seems easy to get but is actually very hard to obtain. It's something that IS more powerful than anything else, yet also very weak. My mom said that all magic began from love. That's why I think 'primordial magic' refers to 'love.'"_

" _But they do feel pain. They're not mindless dolls for you to play with! A real Celestial Mage would respect their Spirits!"_

" _They're the best friends I could hope for!"_

" _I love Celestial Spirits so much, Momma! Can you teach me how to summon them?"_

" _O Celestial Spirits of the Zodiac! Lend us the strength to seal away the wicked! Open, Gates of the Twelve Signs! Zodiac! Please…. CLOSE THE GATE!"_

The tide ebbed and Cobra was left gasping as his senses returned to him. He slowly raised his head and glared at the blonde woman and her Spirit standing before him. A low growl started in the back of his throat, escalating into a full-blown snarl. "What was that for, you crazy bitch?" Despite the threatening noises he was making, the sentence lacked any bite to it. "I hear you, loud and clear. No need to shove it down my throat."

Lucy's eyes blazed.  _'Erik,'_  she thought, courteous enough to not use his real name aloud in the presence of others.  _'My Spirits are my friends. No one gets away with threatening or being rude to them.'_

"Well, you could've just  _said_ that, then." He rolled his eye. "There was no need to violate my privacy to that extent."

' _I violated_ your _privacy?! It's not like you've never done that!'_

Although he was doing his best not to display it – lest he provoke another strike – he was pissed off at the mage's audacity. Granted, it was a clever idea. Her partner had removed all thought during their skirmish, but she tried to overload his brain with information instead. It wasn't a random rush of emotions, thoughts, and memories. No, the woman's mind was too well organized for that. This was a concentrated, well-executed attack where he was most vulnerable. She probably had a heretofore-untapped talent for soul-type magics (given that she was a Celestial Spirit Mage, it wasn't surprising). Normal mind attacks didn't work on him, since it was souls he heard. Lucy had etched her memories into her soul and then  _flung_  it at him like a projectile. He felt like he'd been brained with the mental equivalent of a rock.

She'd shown him exactly what she thought he needed to see to understand her position.

Which was the real reason for his ire, because now he  _did_  understand. His relationship with Cubelios and the ones she possessed with her all her Spirits were the same. If she lost any of them she would fall apart at the seams, much as he had.

' _And who the hell do you think you are, calling me crazy? You followed two people bent on world domination and destruction. Twice, you did that. Not to mention your teammate, Miss Psycho Swan,'_ the woman ranted in her mind.  _'Don't even get me started on her.'_

"Actually, I would have to agree with you about Angel. Are all you Celestial Mages like this?" And though he didn't mention it aloud, he rather liked her nickname for his former comrade.

Repressing a scream of rage, she glared with all her pent up fury.  _'Yukino isn't insane! She's perfectly lovely!'_

A slow smirk spread across the criminal's face. "So you admit  _you're_  not right in the head." He tapped his temple. "You should trust my opinion. I can hear everything you're thinking, after all." Snorting at the blonde's irate expression and mental rants, he shifted on the mattress. "Now that wasn't a very polite thing to think about someone."

"You're a horrible person!" she finally screeched aloud.

"And you're just now figuring that out? Me going to prison twice wasn't enough of a hint? " He retorted. "Could you also not scream like a banshee? Some of us have sensitive hearing."

Now it was Lucy's turn to smirk. "Oh? You're sensitive, are you?"

The Spirit's eyes darted between the two arguing individuals, unable to follow along while only hearing one half of the conversation. Since his master didn't seem to be in any danger, he stayed back and let it play out. Although he recognized Cobra as a former enemy, Loke had been with Fairy Tail for three years and knew just how easily his master and everyone else forgave those that hurt them. Until Cobra made a move, he wouldn't interfere.

Cobra chortled, partly because he knew it would piss Lucy off. "Much as I would like to continue this... conversation," he drew out that last word just to irk the blonde further. "I really do need to take a piss." He considered his next sentence carefully. It would be foolish to provoke another mental attack by the Light Guild wizard. "Loke."

Said man's eyes widened at the use of his name.

"Help me get to the restroom," Cobra demanded, and then tacked on a, "Please," to appease the woman who'd saved his life. "I can't get there on my own." Thanks to the forced trip down Lucy's memory lane, he now knew the Spirit before him almost as well as the blonde woman did.

Some of her  _affection_  for the Spirit had transferred as well, blast it all.

"And could you not think so loud? You Celestial Spirits make my brain itch," the Dragon Slayer complained. And then,  _because he couldn't stop himself_ , he added with a smirk, "Tick infested fleabag."

Lucy launched herself at the self-satisfied Cobra, only to be yanked away in midair. "Princess, I don't much appreciate you flinging yourself at barely clothed men in my presence. Men who aren't me, at any rate." Loke's arm was wrapped around her middle as he held her at his side; her arms and legs dangling comically just off the floor. "I don't think you really want to undo all your hard work patching him up, right?" Pushing his shades up with his free hand, he took a moment to enjoy the view of her backside.

Cobra winced, and then hissed at him. "Your Spirit friend is a real pervert," he tattled – the ungrateful bastard.

It was the only warning the lion received before he heard a yell of, "Lucy Kick!" and subsequently found himself hurtling across the room. Cobra's snickers followed him the whole way. Slumped against the wall in a heap of limbs, he vaguely wondered just how Lucy had managed to attack him from that position.

The Poison Dragon Slayer, Loke was rapidly beginning to discover, was a far more cunning individual than Natsu had given him credit for. With that one phrase, the man had managed to slither his way back into Lucy's good graces and make her forget that he'd insulted her close friend.

As Cobra's smirk widened, Loke realized that he'd heard the compliment.

"Don't make me princess-carry you to the bathroom," Loke threatened the other male.

The smirk died instantly, and Cobra stared at Loke. "Do that, and I will bite you," he promised. A chomp received from a Dragon Slayer's fanged jaw was a somewhat serious matter. Especially if the Dragon Slayer in question's element was poison.

"Sorry, man. I don't swing that way."

Lucy's laughter bubbled up as Cobra started to growl again. "Much as I'd like to see that cat-fight, let's just get you to the bathroom. I need to remove that bloodstained sheet you're sitting on, anyway."

The Poison Dragon Slayer rolled towards the edge of the bed carefully. "Forget that. I'll just do it myself." Pride had gotten the better of him, which was made abundantly clear when he tried to stand up only for his legs to collapse under him.

The two Fairy Tail Mages rushed to the man's side.

He sighed as Loke hauled him to his feet and Lucy inspected the stitches for tearing. Helplessness was something he'd become used to  _not_  feeling anymore. "Overconfidence always comes at the most inopportune moment, huh?" he observed, glum.

Lucy smiled at him, her perusal completed. "That would be why it's called overconfidence. Until that point, it's justified." She glanced at Loke. "Hold this idiot there for a moment; I just remembered that I should wrap these."

Feeling petulant, Cobra let himself go boneless – forcing Loke to bear all of his weight.

"You asshole," Loke muttered, aware that he was being messed with. The other male was all muscle and quite solid. Cobra knew very well that Loke would never hear the end of it from Lucy if he dropped Cobra. He wasn't sure how, but Lucy and Cobra had forged a connection powerful enough to rival the one Lucy held with Natsu.  _'I expect an explanation later, Cobra,'_  Loke informed him.

Cobra nodded slightly, just enough to communicate with Loke without Lucy noticing the movement.

Returning with the bandages, Lucy laughed at the still boneless Cobra and the struggling Loke. "I'm going to need your assistance with this, so stand up and help me out, Squinty Eye."

He further narrowed said singular orb at her. "Blonde Bimbo." Before she could retaliate, he drew his legs under him and carried what he could of his own weight.

She snorted at him. Unrolling the bandages, she started to wrap them tightly around his chest. After a moment, she casually remarked, "Scar-face."

"Whip Girl." Honestly, he no longer cared about the weapon – good or ill. It wasn't a whip, really. It was a river with a handle. He could live with that.

"Pointy Ears."

"You know you like those."

"I do," she admitted.

"Squishy."

"Rot Mouth."

"Flotation Device."

She quirked an eyebrow at this. Was it just her, or did most of his insults revolve around her chest size? "You know you like those," Lucy repeated his earlier teasing accusation.

Cobra opened his mouth to respond, and shut it with a snap. He repeated this action a couple of times before he choked out, "No matter which way I answer that, it'll end badly for me."

"Wise decision," Loke muttered.

"For a mind reading voyeur," Lucy quipped.

The Dragon Slayer grimaced. "Trust me, there are some things you just don't want to hear. By the way, has scoliosis or sciatica set in yet?"

She gave him a flat stare.

"Oh, was that a sore spot?" he teased.

"Very," she grumbled. "Ophidiophile." Lucy was quite proud of that one.

Loke's jaw dropped to the floor, the Dragon Slayer almost joining it as the ginger-haired man's shock turned into uproarious laughter at the dumbstruck Serpent Mage's expense. The lion Spirit doubted that anyone had ever displayed such insolence to the criminal, and if they had they were no longer among the living.

True to the blonde's intentions, the remark seemed to strike a nerve. Cobra stayed silent for a few moments, glowering at the smug Celestial Wizard and the snickering Celestial Spirit. There was no way he would let this slide.

"Sore spot?" Lucy questioned, unsympathetic.

"Very," he gritted out.

As Lucy finished securing the last strip of bandage around the man's injuries, Cobra twisted a bit in Loke's grip. He stopped once Lucy was no longer in his blind spot, and where she could see his feral grin. Leaning in as close as he could to her face, he sneered,  _"Meat."_

She deemed the yelp he made when she poked him in the chest to be satisfactory.

Something about him just brought out her inner bitch.

"You know, Kitten," Cobra addressed Loke as he was hauled bodily off to the bathroom, "your key holder doesn't take defiance well from people who aren't her Spirits."

"No," Loke agreed. "That she doesn't."

Once the door to the room was closed firmly in their wake, Loke set Cobra down on the lowered toilet seat. Hovering over the former Dark Guild Wizard, the Spirit crossed his arms. "I want to know what is going on. No, as the leader of the Zodiac and Lucy's Spirits, I need to know."

Cobra didn't bother mincing words with Loke. "She saved my life when she had no obligation to." As soon as they left his mouth, his mind reeled at the truth of them. Lucy really didn't owe him anything; it would have surprised him less if she had just left him there to bleed out on the carpet. He and his guild had done everything in their power to destroy her life a mere few months ago.

But Loke's reactions to his words intrigued him. A vast wave of complicated, static filled emotions blotted out the Spirit's thoughts. This seemed too intense for what he knew of the lion's history with the girl. Was there something he was missing? The guilt and sheer pain the Spirit was exuding was poignant, and didn't seem to belong.

"Why does that fill you with guilt?" Cobra found himself asking in suspicion.

Loke squashed his thoughts behind another rush of static. "She probably did feel an obligation to save you," he admitted.

The Dragon Slayer stared at him.  _"Why?"_  Never before had he put that much feeling into a single word.  
"What have I ever done to deserve kindness from her? I was one of the people who tried to sacrifice her to a clock last spring."

"Actually," here Loke looked sheepish, "it wasn't so long ago for her. She spent a day in the Celestial World, which is equivalent to three months in Earthland. It's more like just a week or two ago in terms of her perception."

' _Two weeks?'_  Cobra thought, incredulous.  _'We tried to destroy both her and everything she loved a mere two weeks ago and she still wanted to save my life?'_  He cleared his suddenly blocked throat, and a tightening in his chest made it even harder to breathe. "This chick is unreal." Her memories that she forced on him hadn't contained a sense of time to them, so he had not realized the distortion present in them or had attributed it to the seven-year stasis spell she'd been under.

A strange upwelling in the region of his heart caused him to shift uncomfortably.

"I can see it means a lot to you," the Spirit said kindly.

"Yeah," he responded. The only question going through Cobra's mind was to the exact nature of what that meant. It wasn't as if he actually regretted anything he'd done; it was the fact that she forgave him that confused him. He could hear her thoughts, but he couldn't understand. Far outside his realm of experience, he felt lost for the first time in years.

Loke noticed the other man's confusion and sympathized. "I lived with Fairy Tail for three years," he offered. "I've had enough contact with enough Dragon Slayers to realize that your kind develops very strong loyalties very quickly with the right triggers. Lucy, in particular, is good at inspiring those kinds of feelings. I should know – she saved me as well. She isn't just my key holder, she's my savior."

Cobra nodded. Loyalty aside, there was a rising surety in him that said he needed to protect the blonde with everything he had. Draconic instincts were as good an explanation as any for it. His magic had changed his body, mind, and soul in ways he was still only just discovering. He was pretty sure he wasn't fully human anymore, because he could hear the differences between himself and the full humans around him. "I know. She kept you from disappearing when you were stuck in this world."

The Spirit almost jumped at hearing that from Cobra. "How did you…?"

Snorting at Loke's expression, the Poison Dragon Slayer decided not to keep the Spirit in the dark. Given the true nature of the individual before him, he might even be able to provide insight into the odd situation. "Lucy overreacted to my calling you a fleabag the first time. So she took a piece of her soul, copied and inserted her memories into it and then chucked the fucker at me like it was a fucking hand grenade! A true hand grenade would've hurt less, to be honest. And she did it so damn fast my magic didn't even get a chance to tell me what she up to!"

Loke's only response was, "Oh."

"The memory of her saving your sorry ass was included in that little gift." He groaned at his predicament. "Not to mention the fact that she threw it so damn hard that it's now fucking lodged in my soul and I haven't a clue as to how to remove the damn thing."

Cobra paused and tilted his head to the side, as if he was listening to something. Then he started laughing uncontrollably, holding his bandages as he felt the wounds underneath strain against the thread holding the skin together. It hurt, but he didn't stop for several minutes.

During this time, Loke looked at him like Cobra was more insane than he'd initially thought. Which was an impressive feat. Fairy Tail had the bar set quite high when it came to things they took in stride. The guild had often been compared to an insane asylum where the patients had clearly taken over.

Then the Dragon Slayer finally stopped laughing, and turned to face the closed door. "That number needs to be much higher!" he shouted to the blonde in the room beyond. "It's amazing how much you underestimate Natsu! The man managed to  _turn off his brain_ while fighting me like it was an everyday occurrence." Then he paused. "I have always had a sense of humor! And I'm not joking! He really did turn off his thoughts!" he protested indignantly.

Loke smiled at the bright peals laughter that floated through the door. "Thanks," he said to the Dragon Slayer, turning his brilliant smile to the other man. "For helping her get that laugh back. I haven't heard it since this whole thing began."

Scratching the inside of his left wrist absently, where ghost manacles yet chafed the skin, Cobra fixed the Spirit with a pointed gaze. But before he could ask, Loke held up a hand to forestall it. "Sorry, Cobra. You'll have to talk to her."

Cobra seemed grumpy at the evasion. Still, he let it slide without comment.

Mulling over their former conversation, Loke finally announced, "I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think I might know what's going on. Have you ever heard of a Soul Link?"

The dark mage scoffed. "Of course I have. It's a bond between two souls forged over time through trust. I have one with Cubelios. You can't use soul magic and not run into them."

"Yeah, well, they're also normally two-way streets."

Cobra stared at Loke for a long minute. "You think it's a one way link. During Midnight's takeover, he had me hunt down people with strong Body Links – bonds between a living soul and an object. The clock pieces, it turns out. But I've never heard of a one way link between two living souls."

Loke pushed his glasses up his nose again, though they hadn't needed it. "Not quite. I think you two have a fledgling link from when she saved your life. Then she forced it to mature by shoving a large piece of her soul through it. It provides a reason as to why your magic didn't react in time to prevent it. Celestial Mages have a predilection for this type of magic, since their contracts with us Spirits are in fact artificial, conditional Soul Links. It's why we get stronger when we come to trust and respect our key holders – our power increases with the addition and maturation of a true Soul Link. What is your Soul Link like with… Cu-what?"

Glowering, Cobra replied, "Cubelios. She's a purple, flying snake." Or, rather,  _was_  – he would have to remind himself to use the past tense. "So, even with my Soul Listening Magic, I couldn't hear her thoughts. Thanks to the link, I do have some idea as to her emotional state and location at any given time. She shows up clearer than most others." Altering her form had prevented him from finding her for all these years, until she got close enough. Time spent away from each other meant that their bond would need work in order to recognize each other to the degree and range they once had.

He stretched his senses as far as they would go, to check on her. Cobra found her at the periphery of his range with a mass of others. To his surprise, she noticed him. He felt her smile.  _'Erik,'_  he heard her think,  _'I can hear your voice.'_

Deep calm swept through him at the sound. It was just as he'd remembered from when the Infinity Clock fell.  _'I hear you, Kinana'_  he responded, much to the distant woman's delight. Then, withdrawing, he realized that there was another voice just as clear. The connection between the new voice and his soul felt different than the one with Kinana. He recognized it as belonging to Lucy, but she continued about her business in the next room without noticing him in return.

The search had taken but moments to complete. Cobra refocused on the Spirit in front of him. "Lucy shows up just as clear as Cubelios," he reported. "However, while Cubelios can in turn sense me, Lucy can't." He frowned, deep in thought. "I've never heard of a link that didn't work both ways."

Loke shrugged. "Most people with links don't even realize that they're there. The fact that your partner can communicate with you at all is probably due to a side effect of your Soul Listening Magic. A piece of your soul, and thus your magic, resides with her while some of hers is in yours. But it's been there so long it has assimilated and you can't distinguish it from the rest which is why Lucy's sticks out." The Spirit shrugged again. "Eventually, the same should happen with the fragment of Lucy's soul."

Then the lion sighed. "Enough of your soul should flow down the link over time for Lucy to be able to hear and sense you in return. Or you could force the issue, like she did. It might be dangerous, though. There's bound to be side effects from her transfer to you and it might be best not to compound them. Your magic further complicates matters."

Cobra rolled his eye. "Yeah, I've already discovered some of those side effects."

"Like what?" Loke was genuinely curious. He didn't get to see or hear much about Soul Links, or meet others outside the Celestial World that understood them. This new variable of Soul Listening Magic was foreign to him, as well. Crux would be dying for details when he got back.

"Two things," Cobra began. "First, your soul isn't quite as annoying to hear as it was before she attacked me. Rather than a bee swam, now you're a just a large fly trapped inside my skull."

"That still sounds annoying."

"It is. Stop interrupting, Kitten."

"Please stop calling me that. It sounds like a pet name for a woman." Loke hesitated, and then added, "In fact, I've used it as one. Several times."

The Dragon Slayer ignored the request. "There was also a transfer to me of her…  _affections._ " Nearly spitting the last word, he growled. "Seriously. You can stop laughing at any time. It's not that funny."

Loke was beside himself with mirth. Tears leaking from his eyes, he grinned maliciously at Cobra. "How bad are we talking, here? Is it just for her Spirits? What about for her guild?  _Romantic_ feelings?" His eyes sparkled at that last one, ready to tease the irate red-head. He was a cat after all. He couldn't help the urge to provoke and prod the snake.

"Hmph," Cobra huffed. "As far as I can tell, she doesn't  _have_  any romantic feelings for anyone. I don't know if could take that." He grimaced and shuddered. "Although, her feelings for her friends are pretty intense. If I find myself hugging Salamander when he gets here, I'm going to put myself out of my misery once and for all."

* * *

**As You Travel Across**   
**The Never-Ending Wasteland**   
**You Fight Back Tears**   
**And Move Toward Tomorrow**

_**-Lyra's Song in "Song of The Stars"** _

* * *

Lucy watched the two men stagger to the bathroom and shut the door. She wasn't an idiot. Loke was clearly going to interrogate Cobra. It was just what the overprotective Spirit did.

She shrugged it off, too tired to bother with eavesdropping. There were things she needed to get done, and Erik would hear her if she tried. That ability of his to read minds was troublesome.

Grabbing the fitted sheet with its morbid, crimson blossom, she pulled it off the mattress. Her muscles protested the action. Then she removed the cases on the pillows were in. Bundling them up, she tossed it all along with the rest of the bloodstained towels in a heap next to the laundry chute in the hallway.

Once she had accomplished that, she approached the mattress with the top sheet she'd removed from it earlier. Some of the blood had leaked through and stained, but a tentative pat with her hand revealed that it had dried. A toss later and the clean sheet covered it up… sort of. A dark smudge was still visible underneath the cream coloured cloth; she decided it didn't really matter. Erik probably wouldn't care and the stain on the carpet behind the entrance where she'd found him was by far more appalling a sight.

Smooth strokes from her hands eliminated the wrinkles in the cloth. Tucking in the corners seemed like a waste of effort, so she didn't bother. Throwing the comforter over the sheet, Lucy then straightened it out and folded the top down so Erik could climb in. She giggled when she realized that she was planning on tucking the older criminal in like a little boy. In all likelihood, he'd call her a brat for even thinking that.

Speaking of which, they had been in the restroom for quite a while. Voices emanated from beyond the door, but Lucy couldn't make out what was being said. Still, it did seem like the pair were getting along – if it were Natsu and Gray she would have heard not only shouting but the telltale sounds of the room's destruction and the gurgling of their security deposit inevitably circling the drain. The only reason it wasn't in ruins already was in large part due to the fact that they had been at the arena for most of the tournament (and the Dragon Slayers had  _still_ managed to nearly destroy the stadium).

Lucy decided to check on the cooling lacrima. There was a controlling device near the blood stain on the carpet. It shouldn't be too difficult to operate…

Scratch that.

With the cover lifted, Lucy was faced with a mess of magical conduits of every size and colour imaginable. She blinked at the confusing tangle. How was she supposed to make sense of this?

Then she brightened.  _'Oh, look, buttons!'_  She reached for them, and then instinctively drew her hand back. These were coloured too, and not labeled. Pushing them without thinking it through would be bad. If she used normal people logic, she guessed that the blue one would cool the room down.

Natsu, she was sure, would choose the red button. Because Igneel was red, therefore it was a good colour.

Red buttons were never a good choice.

Ever.

' _I wonder,'_  she thought,  _'in the file the Magic Council has for Natsu, how many times the phrase "inappropriately pushed button" shows up.'_  There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that the Council was keeping tabs on the true extent of the property damage Fairy Tail members inflicted upon the country (and occasionally the neighboring ones). Natsu, in particular. In fact, Lucy could remember at least six instances where missions with the pyromaniac had rapidly deteriorated due to a button much like the one before her.

' _Let's see… I've been on about thirty missions with him over the course of about half a year – not counting all the non-mission problems we've been dragged into. So if Natsu goes on sixty missions in a full year, and assuming he joined the guild the same year Igneel disappeared, that makes four hundred twenty missions over seven years. With one-fifth of the missions involving unfortunate explosions due to Natsu's incessant need to push every button he comes across…'_  Lucy reasoned, working out the math in her head. ' _Eighty-four.'_

It was a jaw dropping number.

"That number needs to be much higher!" she heard Cobra yell from the bathroom. "It's amazing how much you underestimate Natsu! The man managed to  _turn off his brain_ while fighting me like it was an everyday occurrence."

Natsu had left out that detail when he was bragging about his battle with the Poison Dragon Slayer. It wasn't that surprising, really. Given the way he acted sometimes, it was entirely possible it truly was an everyday occurrence.

' _You developed a decent sense of humor in the last seven years. I'm impressed,'_  she teased.

"I have always had a sense of humor! And I'm not joking! He really did turn off his thoughts!" Cobra, despite being able to read minds, appeared to have trouble with certain nuances.

Lucy couldn't hold back her laughter after that.

It felt great.

She honestly hadn't thought she would be able to feel like that again.

Once her giggles had subsided, she pushed the blue button on the wall device. The temperature dropped a few degrees, and her lingering smile widened. With a little luck, the crystal and conduits were in good shape and it would still function properly and not freeze them all to death.

With that cheery thought, she dragged a chair to Erik's bed. Plopping down on it, she finished putting the medical supplies back into Wendy's bag. Before she shoved the object back under the bed, though, she removed some burn salve from the stash. After the kit was stowed, she started to apply the soothing paste substance on her arms while she waited for the boys to reappear.

They did a few moments later. She finished with the salve and set it aside.

As Loke hauled Cobra back to the bed, he grumbled, "That was quite possibly the most awkward thing I've ever done in my entire several centuries-long existence. Ranked right above when I had to pick up Gray from the police station after he was arrested for public indecency before the preliminary competition a few days ago."

Apparently Crocus didn't appreciate Gray's need to be nude.

That was news. About Loke going behind her back and collecting him, that is. It was surprising that Gray wasn't arrested more often, if Lucy thought about it. Magnolia seemed to have a high tolerance for the Ice Mage's peculiar idiosyncrasies. Or maybe it was just for Fairy Tail in general.

Cobra scoffed. "That's nothing – I had to experience  _both_ sides of this little endeavor."

Lucy smiled at their bantering. Clearly they'd come to some sort of agreement. Once Cobra was placed into the bed – not as gently as Loke  _could_  have performed the deed – Lucy took the coverlet and tucked the criminal in. He promptly struggled out of the confining cloth, propping himself up against the headboard. Rolling her eyes, Lucy situated the coverlet around his waist instead.

"Impertinent twerp," he muttered at the action.

She narrowed her eyes and threw one of Gray's discarded – and therefore clean – shirts at the man's face.

Loke laughed when it caught on Cobra's hair, obscuring the criminal's face.

"Technically, I'm twenty-five," Lucy reminded them, reclaiming her perch on the chair.

Both men snorted at that.

"Hey!" she protested. "According to my birth certificate, I really am twenty-five!" She didn't mention that her birthday had been on July 1st, during the Grand Magic Games. Honestly, she hadn't even noticed until it was long past so she wasn't upset about not celebrating it – but she didn't want Loke to know. He would probably throw a fit. Then he would inform her guild, and they would throw a bigger fit. The world would not survive that.

Quickly, she shot a look towards Cobra. He wasn't going to say anything, was he? He had tried to destroy the world before after all. This might be his opportunity to actually succeed.

"While I, physically  _and_  mentally, am twenty-six," Cobra sneered – or at least Lucy thought he did. Gray's shirt was still plastered to his face, making him look rather ridiculous. Thankfully, he seemed to be going along with her wishes. "You're still stuck as a teenager." He finally pulled the cloth off his head and wrestled his way into it.

Loke blanched. "Way to make me feel ancient, guys. Thanks, really."

The pair grinned at him.

"Although," Loke mused aloud, "I am sort of grateful for the seven-year gap. Sorry, Princess, but it's true. It just means I get to be your loyal lion for that much longer."

Lucy sweatdropped, and tried to squash the twinge of pain she always felt when the time gap was mentioned. "I don't think that's how time works, but I appreciate the sentiment, Loke."

"I'm the leader of the Zodiac!" the overgrown cat exclaimed. "The Gatekeepers of Time! Of course I know how time works – by definition, I  _am_  the expert."

She raised an eyebrow at the outburst. "So do tell me, why was it Grandpa Crux who knew the most about the Eclipse Gate, the actual Gate of Time, Loke?"

Caught, the man sweated. "It's Crux," he said weakly. "Crux knows everything."

"Makes sense," inputted Cobra.

"…I can't tell whose side you're on…" Lucy muttered.

He looked taken aback. "Oh, that's easy. I'm on  _my_  side. That should've been obvious from the start, Twerp."

It seemed he'd found the nickname for her that he liked the most. Lucy groaned as she realized this. Then she smiled tentatively at him, and when he returned it with a small smirk her heart soared. She liked this. She liked that the atmosphere between the three of them felt like that of old friends.

Without recent events, she might've missed out on this feeling. It was a sobering thought, though. It was contradictory, but she simultaneously both loved and hated that something so good could arise from such great evil perpetrated mere hours prior.

It hurt.

Despite the pain spreading across her soul, she kept her smile plastered on her face.

Her new and old friends seemed to sense it anyway.

Of course – Cobra could hear her turmoil and anguish as if she had spoken it aloud. And Loke? Loke just knew her that well.

Lucy tried to hide it deep inside her soul where Cobra/Erik couldn't find it. She pulled it down to the depths and buried it. Covering it up with other things, both painful and joyful. She wouldn't let him see. She couldn't let him hear the traitorous whispers. She wouldn't burden her new friend with  _this_.

Loke could see it the moment her smile became fake. "Lucy?" he asked, hesitant. She didn't respond. Her face fell, and her skin lost its glow. He could tell that she was shaking a little.

"Go."

The Spirit almost jumped at the growl from the man on the bed. "What?"

"Leave," Cobra hissed at him. Rage glinted in his indigo eye. "You can't help."

The words were a knife in Loke's heart. He glanced at his summoner, his savior. Something was clearly wrong with her. He had a sinking feeling he knew what it was, too. But she had been so happy just a moment before…

He hated it – he hated that Cobra thought he couldn't help her. But it was true. If the man who could read a person's mind and soul said that he would be of no use here there really wasn't much he could do about it.

"Take care of her," Loke ordered, starting to vanish. "If you don't, remember that even kittens have fangs."

"Of course."

Once the lion Spirit had returned to his own world, Cobra fumed at what the blonde was trying to do. She was trying to hide something from him. He could hear her soul swirling chaotically inside her small frame, churning up dense froth that blocked his ability to discern what was beneath. Warily, he retreated from the undertow – if he wasn't careful the current would drag him into the heart of the maelstrom where he might lose himself. Delving too deeply into a soul could be hazardous.

He might yet risk it, but he would at least attempt to reason with Lucy first.

Normally, no matter how hard a person tried they couldn't hide from Cobra what he wanted to see. Here, it was different in that Lucy had an untapped potential for soul magics. She knew instinctively how to protect herself to a small degree, and her natural affinity aided her in her endeavor.

A section of her soul was cordoned off, and it was screaming at the unnatural action.

Cobra shuddered. It was saying things he'd only heard once before, at the Tower of Heaven.

" _Don't touch me! Don't come near. Don't look at me! Stay away!"_  it wailed.

Erik was frightened at the sudden change that had overcome Lucy. What worried him the most was that it had stemmed from a happy thought, from good feelings.

If he didn't do something soon, the Tower would take root in her soul.

He couldn't allow that. To his shame, he'd attempted to inflict the cruelty he'd endured there upon others – make them feel that nothing would be okay. Make the world feel that there was no safe place, no real Heaven.

But that was not allowed to happen to Lucy. Not to the one person aside from Cubelios that actually cared to try to save a stranger.

"Lucy," he growled.

She seemed to snap out of her trance, and she peered at him through fallen bangs. Sweat congealed on her skin and shone on her brow. Flinching, she scooted the chair away from him a little.

She'd mistaken the rage he was exuding for anger at her, rather than at himself.

"Lucy, don't hide from me," Cobra ordered, keeping his dragon instincts under a firm hold. It wouldn't do him any good to scare her off.

' _He saw it,'_  her heart and soul whisper-screamed.  _'No… he knows.'_

"Lucy, I didn't see it. I didn't hear it. I promise." He paused. "But you have to let me."

The young mage trembled.

"I won't hurt you, Lucy. I need to know what is wrong. I won't tell you it will be alright." It was pretty clear that it never would be – not completely. She didn't need false words of hope. "I want to help you. I owe you that much, and it's what friends do for each other, isn't that right?" he begged. He hated begging, it made him sound weak. It made him feel weak, too.

Not trusting herself to speak the words aloud, she thought,  _'Friends don't let other friends suffer just to make themselves feel better. I wouldn't be your friend if I let you see this.'_  And she so desperately wanted to be his friend.

This time, he let the growl escape. "Let me decide that for myself. I'm not helpless. At least allow me to try."

That must have gotten to her, for the waters stilled inside of her. The bubbles faded, leaving only the calm that belied dangerous depths and lurking monsters.

Like a bloated corpse, what she tried to hide rose slowly to the surface.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Cobra must have still thought that whatever it was she was concealing – although obviously horrible – wouldn't compare to his vast experiences in the department of pain.

But now he only had one coherent thought.

' _Holy shit.'_

The girl had watched herself die. She had perished in her own arms.

' _Holy fucking shit.'_

Cobra was pretty sure that was a whole new category of fucked up. He had experienced death as few had, but this was something else. The only bright spot in the darkness of the situation was that she couldn't feel death as he could.

There was also something seriously twisted about that other Lucy, with what she'd told her counterpart. How she knew it was 'weird' to see herself die.

Now he was faced with a couple of painful realizations of his own.

If that man from the future hadn't shown up, hadn't killed the other Lucy, and hadn't unleased the dragons Cobra would never have gotten to meet and befriend this Lucy. This was at the heart of what sparked her episode a few minutes ago.

But it was the other thing that made his heart clench with agony.

_He had no idea what to do._

Lucy herself didn't know what she wanted. She trusted him to figure something out.

Cobra wouldn't know what he would want in that situation. He'd stared death down before. But then, so had Lucy. The woman seemed to have developed a habit of berating those who wished her harm.

Then it came to him.

What had Erik wanted, all those years ago? Lost and alone and  _very, very afraid_?

He held his arms open and waited.

Lucy, upon seeing the invitation, hiccupped once. Then she threw herself into the offered embrace.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around him as far as she could reach. Clinging to him with everything she had left, she sobbed. She allowed herself to grieve.

* * *

 **I'm Your Star, Though**  
**So I'll Shine Brightly For You**  
 **I'm Your Song, Though**  
 **So Show Me A Smile**

_**-Lyra's Song in "Song of The Stars"** _


	5. The Tower Falls

_**Let In The Day After A Dark Night** _   
_**If You're Still Here**_   
_**(If You're Still Here)** _

_**-James Levin, David Gould & Janet Tamaro-Natt "I'm Still Here"** _

* * *

Ignoring the pain of his wounds, Cobra dragged the blonde fully onto the bed. Letting go with one arm temporarily, he slid them both down and tucked the coverlet around her as well. Then the arm returned to its previous position.

She didn't seem to notice.

Although he felt a little awkward, given that he had just properly met the woman a few hours ago, he knew that he'd done the right thing. Lucy had completely curled up on herself and was still clinging to him like her life depended on it.

Maybe it did.

Cobra wasn't exactly an expert when it came to comforting someone, or being comforted. In truth, he wasn't used to being touched, either. What little he could recall of his life before the Tower of Heaven, there hadn't been much from his family in terms of physical affection. Once he'd arrived at the Tower, he had been the lone occupant of his cell for quite some time before Macbeth was tossed in alongside of him.

He hadn't even been able to talk to Macbeth, then. Talking wasn't permitted while work was underway, nor was conversing with those in nearby cells lest the captives organize a rebellion. Erik's voice had fallen into disuse over the course of his interminable stay in the dark, damp space.

Macbeth, undeterred by his new companion's inability to communicate, had crept up close to the other boy during the cold night for warmth. Erik hadn't pushed him away. After a few days, and lots of practice with his rusty vocal cords, Erik was able to hold a conversation with his new friend. When Sorano joined them, she'd needed the warmth of the two boys just as they needed hers. Sawyer and Richard, too, after they were brought to the Tower. All of them helped each other survive the Tower.

Under Brain's tutelage, not much had changed. Separate bedrooms did nothing to keep them all apart at night. All five of them stripped their beds and formed a nest in the largest bedroom, Macbeth's, with the pilfered blankets and pillows. Together, they even managed to drag the mattress from Macbeth's bed and the one from Sorano's in the next room to complete their new sleeping arrangements. Brain had let it go – although the adult's reasons for having done so were never clear. Erik could no longer read his mind through his soul due to the mental barrier the dark mage had put up after discovering Erik's talent. Yet, Erik suspected that Brain put up with the obvious camaraderie amongst the children in order to improve the effectiveness of the sealing magic he intended to inflict upon them. Macbeth, on the other hand, could not be convinced that it wasn't because his father (that had been a confusing shock for all the children) loved him and wanted his friends to be happy.

Erik had always been a bit of a pessimist. That the dour Macbeth was an optimist while the generally carefree Erik wasn't had long been a source of amusement for the rest of the group.

Their habit of sleeping in a group might well have carried over into their adult life if Erik hadn't, quite literally, become venomous.

Dragon lacrima didn't exactly belong in human bodies, and Erik's tried to reject the foreign object as soon as it was implanted in his small form. Poisonous magic started to leak uncontrollably out of his body through his mouth, nose, and his skin. Erik had then been removed from the rest to a secure, magically insulated room where none of the gaseous magic energy could escape and harm the others. It wouldn't do to have Brain's other experiments ruined, after all.

Erik became delirious with fever as his own magic tore him apart from the inside. Alone in the room with only Cubelios for company, Erik began to crave the sound of other voices. His Soul Listening magic wasn't able to penetrate the walls of the insulated space and Cubelios remained silent to him. Although he could sense her growing concern for his health, her voice was out of his reach.

No one entered the room, not even to feed the suffering child. There was no way to block the poison seeping out his pores, and no defense against it other than to remain outside the sealed room.

Then Cubelios did something she'd never done before.

She bit Erik.

Her own poison seeped through the child's veins until it encountered the lacrima. The crystal reacted by pulling all of the ambient Dragon Slayer magic in Erik's body to itself, where it consumed the invading venom. Somehow, in doing so, it merged completely with Erik's internal Magic Container and the magic settled under his skin for good.

Cubelios had saved him yet again.

Upon his emergence, Brain bestowed the new Dragon Slayer with a new moniker. Cobra, the Poisonous One.

Erik had died in that room.

Later, Cobra discovered that Brain had expected that vicious side effect, but not the element it would appear as. Dragon lacrima would adapt to whatever element the host had the greatest affinity for. Brain had anticipated an air or sound affinity of some sort, given Erik's natural-born magic. Cobra had inwardly laughed. His best friend was a very large, very poisonous serpent. Of course poison suited him quite well.

Curiously, his hair slowly changed colour over the course of several days. It came to match the exact shade of his poison magic. Not only his hair was affected, though. His eyes acquired an indigo hue – a sharp contrast with the onyx they were prior. He assumed it was due to Cubelios' poisonous bite, since his eyes now matched her scales.

Magic now under control, Cobra resumed his training, only to find that his friends were now wary of him. They kept their distance subtly, but he couldn't help but hear the truth in their souls' whisperings. As his Soul Listening Magic and hand-to-hand combat skills increased, even hits stopped coming. The only physical contact he had with anyone was Cubelios.

And now Lucy was the only other to be able to touch him without fear of being poisoned and without intent to kill.

The girl in his arms had quieted during his musings of the past. Her sobs were less frequent, and lacked the force they'd contained at the start. Cobra had no idea how much time had passed, but it couldn't have been too long. He doubted it was even midday. With a start, he also realized that he'd been rubbing small circles on her back without being aware of it. Given his lack of experience, it must have been an instinctual gesture.

Lucy stirred and he refocused his attention on the blonde mage.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into his borrowed clothing. "Your shirt is soaked now."

Cobra shrugged. "It's not my shirt," he replied, unconcerned.

He felt her smile into the fabric, despite the echo of pain resounding from her soul's depths.

"You should get some rest," he suggested. Cobra tightened his grip on her as she tried to squirm away. "No. Stay. You're no bother. I would let you know if you were."

' _I bet,'_  she thought. She sighed into his chest. "Are you sure it's not just because all Dragon Slayers like snuggles?" There was plenty of evidence from her guild's Slayers to prove the point. Natsu was by far the biggest snuggle-bug of the lot, but the other three had their moments.

Cobra refrained from stating that he'd liked them since  _before_ he became a Dragon Slayer, thinking that it might not help his case. Instead, he just growled.

Not the least intimidated, Lucy withdrew her arms from Cobra's waist only to fist her hands in his shirt. Wisps of memories floated through her mind into her soul, and from there wound their way into Cobra's as well.

_Wendy slipped a small hand into Lucy's while clutching her white Exceed, Carla; tightly, with her other arm when she thought the older Slayers weren't watching. They were, just pretending not to notice the young bluenette's need to reassure herself that her new guild wouldn't disappear on her._

_Laxus, tackled to the ground by his enthusiastic teammates after his return to the guild. Although he'd protested, he hadn't stopped grinning at their happiness and somewhat suffocating affection._

_Gajeel's rather desperate search for a cat of his own upon seeing Natsu and Wendy with their Exceeds. When Pantherlily finally agreed to partner up with the metal Dragon Slayer, Gajeel exploded into tears of joy – and practically crushed the anthropomorphic warrior-cat in his ensuing hug. The resulting expression on Pantherlily's face was priceless._

_Natsu snuck in through her window again in the dead of night to curl up in her bed. Too bad he didn't realize that it wasn't his best friend he was snuggled up to. Unbeknownst to the fire mage, Erza and Gray had invaded Lucy's apartment as well earlier in the evening. Gray had taken the bed, and Erza had taken the couch, so Lucy had curled up in her bathtub with lots of blankets and her novel in order to keep her teammates from reading it without her permission. Natsu and Gray, upon their awakening in the morning, screamed so loudly that it jolted the two women from sleep. The two male mages hadn't been able to look each other in the eye for an entire week after, and it had taken Lucy a while to convince a stuttering, furiously blushing Erza that the boys weren't involved in a romance. Her teammates had never totally forgiven the blonde for not sleeping in her own bed that night (never mind that the two had intended to steal it from her in the first place – though she did go out and purchase futons the next day)._

Oh, Cobra was definitely going to use this against the Salamander at an unspecified later date.

It was heartening to know that, despite his newfound vicarious affections for Lucy's friends, he was still nasty enough to mess with them. Or maybe that was coming from the blonde, too – in which case his Soul Link with Lucy was going to be much more fun than he had initially anticipated.

Hugging anyone other than Lucy and Kinana was out of the question, though. There was only so much Cobra could tolerate when it came to love and friendship and other nauseatingly happy things. Salamander would probably immolate him in shock if a heart-warming embrace occurred anyway, so there was that.

Cobra wondered if the dragons themselves had the same tendencies. It was hard to imagine the rock dragon being cuddly, though it had been oddly cheerful throughout their fight.

"Can you…" Lucy whispered, not raising her head to look at him, "Can you talk to me until I fall asleep?" She was afraid of meeting his gaze and finding rejection there. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought, and her throat started to close. "Please?"

"…What about?" Cobra honestly had no clue. He was in foreign territory as it was.

At Lucy's shrug and mumbled, "Anything," he almost groaned in frustration. That was seriously not helpful. It was hard enough to concentrate through the gloom that permeated her mind, without forcing him to get creative on top of it.

Inspiration struck, and he stretched his awareness as far as it would go.  _'Kinana! I need your help! How do you make someone smile?'_  Lacking an idea of his own, he would just use someone else's. It was a simple and logical move.

The distant woman was so surprised and perplexed by the sudden question from her friend that she stumbled over the rocky terrain she was traversing.  _'Um… Well, who is this for? That might help me come up with something?'_

And now Cobra wasn't sure whether or not to tell her. Kinana was in Lucy's guild, after all, so she might know something of what to do. They knew each other, albeit they weren't close like the blonde was with her team. On the other hand, he (Cobra or Erik, he wasn't sure at this point) suddenly felt nervous admitting to his oldest friend that he'd made a new one. He'd never had to introduce one friend to another before, and didn't know how to proceed.

Well, shit. Maybe this whole bonds and friendship thing that the Fairy Tail Guild obsessed over was harder than it seemed.

When he didn't reply, Kinana ventured,  _'Maybe try telling a joke?'_

Cobra thought about it.  _'I don't know any.'_  Not quite the truth – he did recall the one Salamander had cracked during their fight almost eight years ago. That one was best kept to himself, though. Lucy in particular would not appreciate it. Brain had somewhat frowned upon frivolity, so there wasn't really any others he knew.

' _Then, try a story. Lucy likes to know about her friends.'_

Erik almost jumped at Kinanas's words.  _'How did you…'_

He could feel her smiling.  _'Lucy is Lucy. If anyone could make_ you  _want to be their friend…'_  She was teasing him. He was certain of it.  _'Then it would have to be her. She shines.'_

' _That… she does. Thank you, Kinana. I owe you.'_

Far away, the bluenette giggled at her friend. When he felt like it he could be startlingly… actually, she wasn't sure what he was. If she thought about it, she didn't really know him well. But she wanted to. She intended to. He was Erik, her friend, and that was enough.

She was glad he was reaching out to someone, though she might have felt a small twinge of jealousy at finding out it was the blonde. Kinana knew that the way Erik was acting that there wasn't anything for her to be concerned about, but she couldn't help envying her guild mate a little for being able to be next to her mysterious friend.  _'You are welcome, Erik, though you don't owe me anything. Getting to hear your voice is enough.'_

'… _Return to the city soon, and you can hear it in person.'_

The idea thrilled her.  _'We're already on our way back.'_

Hesitating for a moment, Cobra added,  _'She reminds me of you, you know.'_

Far away, Kinana turned crimson for no apparent reason, raising no small amount of concern in those close enough to feel the atmospheric temperature spike she caused.

Meanwhile, Cobra might have been outwardly silent for too long. Lucy was starting to doubt herself again. The female mage had vowed to not rely on her friends for everything, and she couldn't stop the self-loathing she felt at having to ask for help once again.

He found that he deeply disliked the feelings of inadequacy rooted in the blonde's soul. It was left over from a childhood spent trying to reach a person who didn't care. Cobra had watched Midnight undergo much the same, and look how that had turned out. It was perfectly acceptable to rely on others after what she'd witnessed. There were things that couldn't, and shouldn't, be borne alone. He was pretty sure watching yourself be murdered qualified as one of those situations. It did not make her weak. In fact, from what he could hear, she emanated strength. But how was he going to make her see it?

It boggled his mind that she thought she was weak. She was a Celestial Mage for fuck's sake! She had an entire army at her beck and call!

"After the Infinity Clock was torn apart," the mage began without preamble, "the Council gathered up those of us they could find and stuck all of us in the same transportation cart." Kind of an awkward conversation starter, but it was the first thing that came to mind. However, before he could finish his (admittedly) vague thought, Lucy interrupted.

"Cheapskates. They couldn't spring for separate ones? Somehow the idea of a bunch of really strong escaped criminals all in a single, small confined space without many guards seems like a bad idea." Lucy joked, though Cobra could hear that she didn't understand where he was going with the statement. It seemed that she was falling back on the habit she'd developed of giving commentary on the actions of those around her (commentary often shared with her teammate, Gray).

Joking was a good sign, right?

Cobra grunted in confirmation. "They had a Direct Line mage that could pick us up wherever we fell so there was no point in bringing the cart to us. The mage just brought us to the cart."

He felt Lucy nod. "Ah." She paused, then added, "Poor guy must have been tired after all that."

Doranbolt had looked ready to drop dead on the spot from exhaustion by the time he was done, if Cobra recalled correctly. Then again, the man had been jumping around several mountaintops looking for members of the Oracion Seis that had been flung from the disintegrating castle in the sky. Not exactly an easy task, even if you knew exactly where to look. It was almost enough to respect the mage – if Cobra hadn't heard the mental, implied threat against Kinana when Doranbolt had come for the Poison Dragon Slayer. Then again the man had also broken him out of prison. Conditions had been set on said release, but that was of little concern to Cobra at the moment.

Lucy interrupted his thoughts again by asking, "Did you get motion sickness?"

He blinked. "Hah?" What was she getting at?

"All Dragon Slayers get motion sickness."

A quick perusal of her memories revealed the truth of that fact to Cobra. Interesting. He'd never developed motion sickness. But then, he hadn't concentrated on honing his Dragon Slayer powers to the extent that the others of his kind had. Instead, Cobra had focused on refining his other magic during the years after his prison break. The poisonous magic had been too great a reminder of the friend he'd lost.

When he informed her about his lack of said motion sickness, Lucy nodded and observed, "Gajeel didn't used to have motion sickness, either. He developed it as his magic matured. Since the other Second Generation Dragon Slayer, Laxus, also has motion sickness, you'll probably acquire it in due time."

"Huzzah," Cobra grumbled without enthusiasm, to which Lucy giggled.

Victory.

But he rolled his eye at her for good measure (even if she couldn't actually see it, it made him feel better). "The road they drove us down was almost rough enough to induce sickness anyway."

Lucy didn't laugh or even giggle this time, but he could hear her amusement nonetheless.

Continuing, he said, "It was a long journey to Era. So, to pass the time, we swapped excuses as to why we lost to Fairy Tail for the second time." It had been half commiseration and half strategy meeting for a possible third run at the guild. No need to mention that tidbit, however.

The blonde smirked. "Plotting for next time?"

…She was entirely too smart. They wouldn't stand a chance on a third attempt if she were in charge. And now she looked rather smug since he hadn't denied it.

"Can I finish my story?" he asked.

"Well hurry up. I'm falling asleep."

'… _I thought that was the point.'_  Cobra decided not to pursue it. Lucy was just trying to get a rise out of him. A strategy that didn't work well when the other party could hear thoughts.

"I remember," Lucy offered, "Erza saying that she defeated you by 'showing you the power of bonds and friendship'?" She shook her head. "I didn't press her for details. She was eating cake at the time. No one messes with Erza during 'cake-time' if they have any sense of self-preservation." Something Natsu distinctly lacked.

Cobra was pretty sure it was a wise policy to not mess with the lady knight at all. Look how well that had turned out for him and Midnight. He snorted at the sparse explanation. "If you call 'the power of bonds and friendship' knocking me out of the sky with a giant hammer while I was distracted – then yes. Do you have any idea what it's like being hit with a giant hammer?"

Lucy wished she could say that she was unfamiliar with the concept… but sadly, no. Erza didn't always pay attention to where she swung that thing.

"I flew into a mountain two miles away!" He'd had to use his all of his remaining magic to blast a counter propulsion sound wave to avoid fatal injury upon impact. That redhead really was a bloody monster.

Lucy flinched at the thought. "Erza neglected to mention that part." Was it just her, or had both Natsu and Erza left out rather important details about their victories over the Poison Dragon Slayer? "Maybe we should put her on a softball team. …On second thought, someone might… die."

"It was pretty embarrassing to tell the others about that," Cobra admitted. "Although, Midnight's was worse. Did you really turn his own Real Nightmare spell against him? While you were completely immobile and half-assimilated with the castle?"

"…Maybe." She had been pretty desperate at the time, and had just lashed out with all the power she could gather. That it had incapacitated Midnight with that particular spell was more of a bonus rather than the intended end goal. "In my defense, I didn't want to disappear from existence." It was strange that she could say that without any ill feelings at all, but the second she sees Rogue she falls apart.

Cobra shrugged. "Our plans didn't account for things like that."

He then felt the very odd sensation of her very soul staring at him. Then Lucy commented, "You had seven and a half years to plot revenge against Fairy Tail and the Allied Guilds. How did you manage to forget your first defeat was due to our unbreakable bonds with each other – the source of our strength?"

"That and we didn't really have the time to make elaborate back up plans. It was sort of an all-or-nothing deal."

"You had seven and a half years!"

The criminal shook his head in confusion. "Why are you even complaining? Thanks to that, you won!"

"Seven and a half years!" The blonde was clearly having trouble wrapping her brain around that part. "That doesn't make any sense!" It was inconceivable to her that they hadn't come up with back up plans. On numerous occasions, she'd had to come up with at least three for a mission. There was the original plan – always forgotten/ignored by Natsu. Plan B accounted for Natsu charging ahead. Plan C was 'do whatever' while trying to avoid the inevitable flying debris. The last wasn't really a plan but it seemed to work well and had the greatest record of success (and implementation). There was always Plan S, or Plan Seduction, but so far that had only ever worked on Dan and, quite embarrassingly, some female bandits she'd taken out prior to meeting Natsu and Happy (her dunderheaded companions were to never find out about this – she'd never hear the end of it from the blue menace).

"You try plotting world domination with a narcoleptic for a boss!" Cobra retorted.

Lucy digested that information for a moment. "I concede the point," she finally said. "Actually, on that note, it's amazing that you accomplished as much as you did for the one plan you had." Lucy sighed heavily. "How come he never conked out when we needed him to?"

"He did," Cobra chuckled. "Remember? You put him under the Real Nightmare spell and made him relive his worst memories." Even if Cobra hadn't been able to see the event, and even if he were unable to hear memories, he would still know what transpired in Midnight's mind under that spell.

Something occurred to Lucy, and she pulled back from his chest a little so she could meet his gaze. "He's probably pretty pissed off about that, huh?"

' _Great,'_  she thought.  _'Another name to add to the list of psychopaths that want me dead. That list is getting altogether too long.'_

Cobra rolled his eye at her. "More disconcerting is how many individuals on that list get taken off because you decide to be friends with them. Although judging by the success rate and my own situation, it does seem to be a valid tactic in your case."

"Gajeel and Flare come most notably to mind…" Lucy muttered. And those two had beaten her until she was black and blue, until she burned and bled. Not that she still blamed them for it. Non-murderous/deranged Flare was just plain adorable, and the only truly terrifying thing about Gajeel these days was his singing voice.

Burying her face into the Poison Dragon Slayer's chest again, she whispered, knowing he could hear her, "You were never on the list, Cobra. You were an enemy, sure, but you never attacked me."

He didn't know what made him say what he did next. A heretofore unknown predilection for masochism, maybe? Because that would explain a lot. "I poisoned Titania in front of you." Cobra baited her; aware that he was pushing buttons blindly much as the blonde had with the cooling lacrima.

Lucy didn't really have a comeback or pithy retort prepared for that. Recalling her inner debate from earlier, she flushed in shame.

_The person who'd laughed at her friend's agony._

_Controlled malevolence._

Suddenly, she released her grip on his shirt entirely. With gentle, delicate brushes of her hands on Cobra's cheeks, she tilted his head down so she could peer straight into his indigo eye. She pretended that she didn't feel his slight tremble at the touch. This man had been seriously starved of affection, she realized. Deprived of the comfort that came with skin-to-skin contact. It was an issue she was intimately familiar with, thanks to her upbringing after her mother's death. Maybe the touchy-feely tendencies of the Dragon Slayers had more to do with the human side of them than the dragon.

"There was once a man that hurt my friend and laughed at her pain. But this was long ago. That man is not the one in front of me," she stated with quiet conviction. "As I've told you before, Erik – I don't tolerate the disparaging of my friends. Not even when that friend is doing it to themselves. No, especially not then. Don't ever say things like that to me again. Don't ever insinuate that you are unworthy. You are here and providing me comfort in my need – and even though you're kind of horrible at it, I can tell you're trying to cheer me up, too." She gave him a watery smile. "If you were truly unworthy, you wouldn't have bothered to try at all. With your ability to read minds you could use what you find there to break people with mere words. But…" Lucy smiled brilliantly at Cobra, causing him to inhale sharply. "But it never even crossed your mind to hurt me like that, or to leave me alone in my misery, did it?"

It hadn't.

It really hadn't.

A crack appeared in the foundation of the Tower, spider-webbing lines clawing up the walls of the edifice.

Steel shone in Lucy's eyes and she squashed his cheeks together to make a fish face. "Have I made my point perfectly clear?"

Cobra nodded, completely flabbergasted by the other mage's sheer kindness.

And here he'd been trying to comfort her, only to have the tables turned on him and receiving comfort instead.

When she released his face, he ignored the temptation to rub his now sore cheeks. Instead he gave her a hard stare. "I would advise you to listen to your own words. If you were unworthy, I wouldn't have bothered trying to comfort you. I possess no illusions about my personality and what I've done in my life. Most people would have left me to bleed out on that carpet over there for far less crimes. You will probably face repercussions for saving me. But it never even crossed your mind to leave me to my fate, now did it?"

He snorted at the rampaging blush that took over Lucy's face. Completely crimson, she hid her face against him. "Okay," she whispered. "Maybe you're not so bad at this after all."

* * *

_**I Hear Your Name In The Wind** _   
_**I See Your Eyes With My Mind**_   
_**I Wash My Hands Of The Sin** _   
_**In The Waters Of Time** _

_**\- James Levin, David Gould & Janet Tamaro-Natt "I'm Still Here"** _

* * *

"On another note, you don't have to worry about Midnight. He was pretty pissed off for a while, but then he redirected his anger. Towards me."

"What did you do?" Lucy prompted.

"I laughed," Cobra replied solemnly. "Until I cried." He paused, and then added, "For days. Apparently he didn't appreciate this reaction to his tale of woe."

"I can see why that didn't go over well!" The blonde dissolved into giggles imagining the look on Midnight's face as tears of mirth streamed down Cobra's face.

Cobra chuckled at Lucy's mental vision, a genuine smile pulling at his mouth. "You aren't that far off. It was a very awkward cart ride to Era's prison." Only the restraints they'd been under had prevented Midnight from mauling his gleeful comrade. Cobra was fairly sure he would be in for it if Midnight managed to pull off another prison break. Midnight had issues with the concept of letting things go. Midnight, in Cobra's humble opinion, had many issues, period. It was kind of a requirement for a dark mage.

"By the way," Lucy inquired, once her composure returned, "how does your mind reading trick work, anyway? I've always wondered – Natsu and Erza didn't give any details. Is it just Super Dragon Slayer hearing, or something else?"

' _Super Dragon Slayer hearing? Seriously?'_  the Dragon Slayer thought, raising an eyebrow. "First of all, it's not a trick. Secondly, it's not mind reading. At least, not in the traditional sense. Nor is it an extension of my Dragon Slayer abilities," Cobra explained. "It's called Soul Listening Magic, and it's the magic I was born with."

Lucy was proving to be an excellent listener, keeping her mouth shut while he spoke. Her mind was still as well, focused solely on gathering all pertinent information before she formed an opinion.

"Souls take the shape of their container. For example, your soul resides in your bones, tissues, muscles, and brain. A side effect of this is that a soul acts as an amplifier for the sounds its container makes. My magic allows me to pick up on those echoes emitted by a soul. Since souls reside in the brain as well as the body, it allows me to hear the thoughts and memories of my opponent. When I sacrificed my right eye for power, it gave me the ability to further amplify the sounds to use for attacks. I can now also search for specific information in my opponent's mind. Before, I could only hear what they were thinking at that moment, but I could still hear all of it."

Cobra waited while Lucy mulled over the new information. He found it fascinating to listen to her pick and pull apart various bits of what he'd said and compare them to her list of mental references. She went through her own mind like she was doing research in a library; taking all of the memorized facts and theories she had accumulated over the years on soul magics and making connections with what he said. Forming new theories and adding clarity to the ones she barely understood.

The dark mage could appreciate a well-organized, intelligent mind like the Celestial Mage's. Those types of brains were almost a pleasure to plunder or to just listen to. No abject chaos or unnecessary screaming going on in there, and no sidetracked thoughts to distract. Her mind was completely and utterly under her control. If everyone he came across had minds like the blonde's, then he would be able to cut back on most of his migraines.

Pieces clicked into their places in the sequence of information in Lucy's mind with oiled efficiency. She examined it, and solved her mental equations. Conclusions formed in neat rows, but a last second cursory examination by the blonde realized something she hadn't seen before. To Cobra, it felt like a light lacrima explosion in her skull.

She stiffened in his arms, and turned her face to stare at him with eyes gone comically wide. "Souls are a liquid?!"

That threw him for a loop. "What?" He'd been paying attention the entire time, but he'd missed the lead-in to _that_  epiphany.

"They're a liquid!" she confided to him in a horrified whisper. "Think about it! They amplify sound; they take the shape of their container! In all of the texts I've ever come across, water imagery is used to describe them, though whether it's because they knew a soul's true nature or they possessed an intuitive understanding of them I can't say." She wondered how it applied to ghosts and other wandering souls. What kept them from flying apart? Was it similar to the way water, oil, and corn syrup separated from each other in a glass due to their different densities? Could a soul 'remember' a shape it held for a long time?

Cobra opened his mouth to reply, and then shut it with a snap. He tried again, only for no words to come out on command. Finally, he managed to croak out, "I wouldn't know. I can't see souls."

Lucy beamed at him. "But one of my guild mates, Bickslow, can! He's a Seith Mage! We'll have to ask him." Her face suddenly fell. "Assuming he survived, that is," she said weakly.

Repressing a sigh at how they'd come back onto this track, Cobra offered, "Show him to me with your memories. I might be able to find him." It was a long shot, since Lucy couldn't get a feel for his mind or magic like he could, but there was a chance it could help the distraught blonde.

Without further prompting, Lucy closed her eyes and brought up her battle with Bickslow the day of the Fantasia Parade. She had barely started playing through the memory, though, when Cobra stopped her.

"That'll be sufficient."

She opened her eyes again and banished the lingering wisps of recollection. "That's all?"

"Yeah. Those wandering souls with him, they have a unique… intonation, I guess. They'll be easy to find, and hopefully their master will be with them." Cobra closed his eye and stretched his awareness, searching for compact souls connected by lines of magic to their owner. After a few moments, he found them and let his awareness fade. "He's injured, but the Sky Maiden was healing him. There was another Dragon Slayer hovering around them, electricity running through his soul in abnormal quantities."

Upon opening his eye again, he saw Lucy's own chocolate orbs fill with relieved tears. "That's good, then. Anything else you can tell me?"

He sighed. "Not really. I didn't listen too deeply, mostly just located them." Cobra was just too tired to do aught else.

"Thanks anyway." Lucy rested her head on the pillow and pressed her face into Cobra's collarbone. "I appreciate it." Inhaling softly, she closed her eyes. "I think I'm about to fall asleep. Keep talking to me until I do?"

And so Cobra chatted about whatever came to mind, finding it far easier to instigate conversation now than before. Mostly, he spoke to her about the Soul Link they now shared. As with everything, the blonde had her opinions on that.

"I'm now missing a chunk of my soul? But I don't feel any different."

"People lose bits and pieces of their souls all over the place and never notice. Seriously, they drop them and keep moving on. Have you heard the expression, 'a great artist is one who imbues his soul into his work', or 'putting your heart and soul into something'?"

"Those aren't just figures of speech?"

"Right. Cherished possessions often contain a portion of their owner's souls." At that, Cobra hesitated before adding, "Like a favorite childhood toy. Or a storybook."

That explained a lot about Michelle/Imitatia. Actually, it shed light on many points about the Infinity Clock incident that had eluded Lucy before now. How Midnight had been able to bring Michelle to life. The entity that dwelt within  _The Key of the Starry Heavens_.

Maybe someday she would feel comfortable enough to discuss the events surrounding the Infinity Clock with Erik in more detail. Her heart was too raw from the turmoil of her more recent past for Lucy to be dwelling on older hurts (no matter the intellectual challenges tempting her to pursue them despite the potential emotional harm).

Hearing this, Cobra directed the conversation towards how Soul Links might be detected in others.

Lucy forbade him from ever discussing the subject with a woman named Mirajane Strauss. In fact, he wasn't even allowed to let on that he could hear thoughts in her presence.

Going off of the blonde's memories, Cobra had to agree. The matchmaking demon-woman, crazed with baby fever that Lucy envisioned was terrifying.

Once that topic was exhausted, and Lucy had concluded that a Soul Link with Erik could only lead to good (which warmed his heart to hear), Cobra found himself wanting to discuss a matter very important to him. Throughout their conversation, his magic had made him privy to a great deal of Lucy's life that he really had no right to pry into. It wasn't as if he could help it, but it still felt like he was intruding (a first). He wanted to give her something of himself to make up for the unintentional breach (another first for him). After a short internal debate, he went ahead and broached a subject very close to his heart and off-limits to everyone else.

He told her about Kinana and Cubelios, and the Tower of Heaven.

* * *

_**For What I'd Give For A Moment of Peace** _   
_**And May I Rest In It** _   
_**(I'm Dying…)** _   
_**No More Strife In This Life** _   
_**'Cause I've Been Blessed With It** _

_**\- James Levin, David Gould & Janet Tamaro-Natt "I'm Still Here"** _

* * *

Warm thoughts, made fuzzy with sleep were all Cobra could hear from the Celestial Mage. Peaceful at last, she slumbered in his arms. It had taken quite a while for her drift off. The woman was incapable of turning her mind off, unlike her menace of a partner. It didn't help that Cobra found her an intelligent conversationalist with whom he had a lot of common ground.

She'd taken his confession about Kinana/Cubelios quite well. Lucy had even gone so far as to tease him about falling in love with a snake; an accusation that he couldn't really deny. Then she declared them to be an adorable couple and squealed painfully in his ear. Erik had put a stop to that immediately. It wouldn't do to have that become a regular occurrence.

But something she had mentioned in passing during one of their other conversations piqued his interest. Lucy had stated at one point that, although she wouldn't trade her Spirit friends for anything, keeping them out for extended periods of time was a larger drain on her magical resources than her team realized. Her reserves also had a tendency of giving out at the most inopportune moments during a confrontation.

That seemed odd to Cobra. Having essentially grown up with Angel, he knew a thing or two about how Celestial Magic worked. Power had to be constantly fed to the keys in a steady stream in order to keep a Spirit in their world. Suddenly running out of magic wasn't a typical problem for the mages because they understood the depths of their energy and the amount they output was more or less fixed depending on the attacks and spells utilized.

Lucy didn't strike Cobra as the type to overestimate her magic levels. If anything, the blonde was understating the fathoms there. She also had a great deal of control over her mind and soul from what he'd witnessed. Control to that degree usually translated well to the body and magic as well. It wasn't as if she were a newbie, either, prone to sudden spikes and ebbs in the flow of her magic.

He had to wait until she fell asleep to go snooping, however. Which took a while. It wasn't until her pink-haired Spirit in the maid costume returned to the Celestial World that Lucy finally relaxed. Soon after, she was tranquilly snoozing away.

Although Cobra could root around in people's minds to his heart's desire without them being any the wiser for it, messing with a mage's internal source of magic was another matter. Lucy would definitely notice something amiss if she were awake. Magic was intertwined with a mage's soul as everything else in their body was, but reading the flow using his Soul Listening Magic was beyond even Cobra's expertise. Not that he couldn't do it – just not with that particular brand of magic.

Instead, he would probe with his own magic to feel how hers reacted and form conclusions from there. It wasn't a rare ability, in fact just about any mage with a certain level of control could do the same. Lucy's memories hinted at several mages within her own guild that had the potential – Titania, the Sky Maiden, and Master Makarov being individuals of note (at least, to Cobra they were). It wasn't too far out of the realm of possibility that Lucy could someday learn the technique he was about to employ.

Cobra's acute awareness of and control over his own magic would serve him in good stead here. His magic was a passive one, yet it still posed a steady drain on his reserves. Through trial and error, Cobra had discovered a way to disrupt the pathways and divert the energy for other purposes. Doing so now, he effectively toned down his listening magic as far as it would go, the internal sounds of Lucy's body and mind fading to background noise easy to ignore. This left his Dragon Slayer senses providing most of his sensory input.

He closed his eye and inhaled deeply. Holding the breath for a few moments, he released it and paused once more. Then he repeated the process for a few more breaths, concentrating on the meditative practice. Within, he felt his dwindled magical reserves swell just enough for him to project the smallest of auras.

Wielding the aura like a surgical tool, he gently brushed it up against Lucy's, allowing his magic to skim the edges of hers. Cobra did not delve into Lucy's magic, however, like he might have with her mind. All he needed was a general feel for the way her power flowed. If there was indeed a blockage like he suspected, then he should be able to find it with this method.

The scent of Celestial Magic filled the Dragon Slayer's nose – a scent difficult to name. It was more a sensation than a smell to begin with. It burned like the frosty air on a clear winter night. Crisp and clear. He could practically see the starscape behind his closed lid, feel the cold seep under clothes and beneath skin to settle in his bones and in the base of his nails. At once both refreshing and painful.

Kind of like Lucy herself.

A shadow darkened Cobra's inner star-studded sky and he knew he found his blockage. Redirecting his attention to it, he almost cringed upon recognizing the cause.

' _Those dumbasses.'_  He shook his head in exasperation.  _'What are they doing, having a marking war?'_

For that was basically what it was. Lucy's magic was saturated with the marks of Dragon Slayers.

In his bid to control his own Dragon Slayer Magic, a much younger Cobra had exhausted all known books on the subject. He understood, perhaps even better than the true Dragon Slayers, just what it meant to mark someone.

A Dragon Slayer's mark wasn't an overt thing, or at least it wasn't under normal circumstances. 'Marking' itself was a simple affair; a small tendril of magic was inserted into the magic of the target. There were three different types of marks, each one a reflection of the Dragon Slayer's intentions. There were prey marks, familial marks, and mate marks. Dragons had used the first two to denote alliances and foes. Mate marks were self-explanatory. Dragon Slayers used them as well, though it was more an instinctual prerogative than a conscious choice. The marks could be sensed by other dragons and Dragon Slayers as a sort of 'keep away' beacon for their loved ones, and as a hunting aid in the case of prey marks.

There was such a thing as taking it too far, though. The Dragon Slayers that Lucy came into contact with most often – the four in her guild – had been placing familial marks on her. While this would not be a cause for concern under normal circumstances, the sheer number of marks embedded in Lucy's magic was ridiculous. The only explanation Cobra could come up with for their presence was that one Dragon Slayer smelled the marks of the others and placed their own on top, only to be supplanted by the next one to cross Lucy's path.

Dragon Slayers were not so good at sharing.

Also not so good with personal space and privacy.

Cobra had neither sensed nor smelled the marks before now, but that would be because her magic was so low at the moment. Only an active search had revealed them.

A few marks from the Dragon Slayers wouldn't be a problem, but this much foreign magic inundated with Lucy's own was causing serious issues with the flows of energy. The foreign power occupied a space within her magical containers, preventing new magic of her own from filling to the brim. As it was Dragon Slayer Magic, and therefore not compatible with her natural abilities, it sat there unable to be used. It not only caused her to miscalculate the amount she had available to utilize, but also impeded her ability to call upon it at all – as it was blocking important junctions in the system.

He growled low in his throat at the sheer idiocy of the other Slayers. Did their precious dragon parents teach them nothing of import? They were going to turn her into Dragonkin at this rate. Or kill her; whether it was through magical poisoning or it caused a slip in her power during a critical moment in battle would matter little once she was dead. The Dragonkin transformation process had a rather low survival rate to begin with, given that dragon magic didn't belong under human skin. It was the method through which ancient Dragon Slayers had propagated their numbers in the absence of dragons – Dragonkin being the proper term for their kind, since that's what Dragon Slaying Magic was at its heart. Look how well that had turned out. It was now a Lost Magic. Numbskulls.

Although, it had given rise to the lacrima implantation process that had given Cobra his abilities.

There was no way Cobra was going to just leave it be. A mere glimpse into a possible friendship was not enough for the Dragon Slayer. He wanted this association to continue for as long as possible. When he found something or someone he liked, he held onto them like a mythical dragon with a hoard.

Now he had to figure out a method to remove the majority of them without awakening Lucy. Considering the nature of his own Dragon Slaying Magic, maybe he could corrode the older marks? It was worth a shot.

With great care, he molded a miniscule portion of his magic. In the act of doing so, he concentrated on the task he wanted the magic to perform. Since the marks took on the aspect of a Dragon Slayer's intentions, there was a good chance of success.  _'I want to remove the blockage impeding the flow of Lucy's magic. I want to improve the flow of Lucy's magic. I want to remove the old marks, leaving only the most recent ones from each individual Dragon Slayer.'_

Once he felt he'd done all he could, he released the magic and watched it do its work.

It slithered into Lucy's aura, and wound its way towards the offending marks as if it were sentient. To Cobra's inner eye, it looked like a little serpentine dragon – a dragon which, upon locating its prey, tore viciously into the older, faded marks. The weaker bits of magical energy broke apart at the venomous touch of the little dragon, and would probably leave Lucy's body through the normal means.

Once it had eliminated the problem marks, the little dragon shoved the others aside. Redistributing them to other areas in Lucy's magical containers away from her pathway junctions. Task complete, it curled up near the center of Lucy's Second Origin and gave a silent roar of challenge to any potential interlopers.

Smirking with pleasure, Cobra took the opportunity to observe the results of the mark's work. Counting the number of marks left, he frowned. Recounting didn't change the results, though he performed the task three more times to be certain.

There were two dragon marks, and, including his own, he found nine Dragon Slayer marks for a total of eleven.

Weren't there only supposed to be seven Dragon Slayers? Even if he included Future Rogue, that left one unaccounted for.

Curiosity piqued once more by a mystery presented to him by the buxom blonde, Cobra inspected the marks a little more closely with his magic. The little poison dragon reported back its findings with sensory information rather than words. Lucy's memories provided the names for him.

Intense blinding light that blotted out everything before it. A familial mark, it was the newest one besides Cobra's own. Sting Eucliffe. Presumptuous little snot must have done it while she carried him.

Scorching heat that singed even in this medium. Familial – definitely Natsu's. Cobra knew that magic anywhere.

He skimmed over what were clearly dragon marks – both of which denoted Lucy as prey. One was… Cobra somehow got the feeling that the owner was perverted, and very… chatty. That was the only description for it. Lucy's memories only confirmed the impression. Zirconis, the Jade Dragon.

The other dragon mark was almost putrid, laced with a sense of wrongness so strong it almost made him sick. It felt artificial, too, which caused him severe confusion. It was like looking at two different beings superimposed upon each other: one a dragon, the other a human. There was no doubt that this belonged to the monster that had tried to wipe Tenrou Island off the map seven and a half years prior: Acnologia, the Dragon of the Apocalypse. All who had been on that island probably bore the same mark. With the events of the past night, they should count their blessings that it hadn't noticed the new Dragon King Festival that had been underway.

Unyielding steel and heavy iron characterized the next mark. Gajeel Redfox. Familial. Intriguing, given the history Lucy shared with the Dragon Slayer. Cobra may have to do some snooping later.

Shadows chased with light, twisting about each other in a constant struggle to dominate.  _'This must belong to the Future Rogue.'_  It was a prey mark. Cobra hypothesized that it got there purely by accident; backlash or overflow from the attack that took the life of Lucy's counterpart.

A soothing breeze emanated from one of the remaining marks. The yawning azure sky spread before Cobra's inner eye, cloudless and without end. The Maiden of the Sky had placed this one. Familial, of course. Cobra doubted the young girl was capable of creating a prey mark.

Electricity lanced through Cobra's senses and he was forced to abort his inspection of the mark to which it belonged. The scent of ozone filled his nostrils, and he lightly shook his head to clear it. Laxus Dreyar didn't like people messing with those he considered family and neither did the mark created from the prickly Lightning Dragon Slayer's Magic. Freaking annoying is what it was. Cobra felt like he'd been electrocuted, despite not having even so much as touched the damn thing.

The last two confounded Cobra.

Similar to Natsu's, one of them radiated heat. Unlike Natsu's mark, however, it was a more insidious burn. It was the kind of fire that slowly consumed what lay before it. Unstoppable, it clung to what it burned and could not be extinguished through normal means. The oddest thing about the mark, though, was that it felt… incomplete, somehow. As if its creator's magic hadn't fully matured. It had marked Lucy as family as well, though the mage's memories couldn't provide any hints since she didn't know herself about that Slayer.

The last mark was so faded that Cobra couldn't tell to whom it belonged. If he was going by process of elimination, by the known Dragon Slayers in Lucy's recollection, then it had to be this era's Rogue. It had to be over seven months old, though; it had almost eroded away completely. Lucy had been in the Celestial World for one day as her body and magic experienced it. Before that she'd been at the guild for about a month after returning from her imprisonment on Tenrou Island for seven years. It had to have been placed on her almost eight years ago, during the late summer-early autumn, if Cobra's mental calculations were correct.

He shook his head, too tired to pursue this line of thought. It would have to wait until he was fully rested and could peruse the brains of the other Slayers for clues. Privacy had never been a great concern of his, not when every person in the world was an open book to him.

Cobra returned to observing his own mark. It looked at home within Lucy's magical container, one of a host of Dragon Slayer marks. Almost all of the Dragon Slayers had claimed the woman as their family, including Cobra himself. Through her, they were all connected to each other.

A family of Dragon Slayers, and one Celestial Mage.

With a start, Erik realized that he now belonged to that group, to that family. It had been a long time since he'd had one. There was the one that sold him, his blood relations. Then for a time he'd had the Oracion Seis. Now he had Lucy, and others of his kind.

Something deep inside his soul broke at the thought. Shocked, he turned his gaze inward.

The Tower was falling, crumbling into the sea. Soon there was nothing left there but a vast sky and a glass ocean.

The chunk of Lucy's soul imbedded within his slid into the vacancy left by the Tower. Nesting comfortably within the niche, it was there to stay.

Cobra closed his inner eye, now seeing only the darkness behind his eyelid. For the first time in what felt like forever, the chains in his soul weighed him down no more.

Slumber claimed him.

* * *

**_Let In The Day After A Dark Night_ **   
**_If You're Still Here_ **   
**_You're Not Done Dying_ **   
**_(You're Not Done Dying…)_ **

_**\- James Levin, David Gould & Janet Tamaro-Natt "I'm Still Here"** _


	6. Rude Awakenings

**_Well They Said, It Was Time For Changing_ **   
**_Rise And Shine, Everybody Is Making It But You_ **   
**_And They Told You To Trust Your Dreaming_ **   
**_But It's Hard To Believe A Feeling That You Just Don't Know_ **

_**-September "Satellites"** _

* * *

Cobra awoke upon hearing a noise at the room's entrance. Holding all his muscles still and forcing himself to breathe evenly, he tried to identify the intruder. Almost subconsciously, he strengthened his grip on Lucy's waist as if to draw her closer for protection should the need arise. Not that he could really get that much physically closer to her. Their current position was a rather awkwardly intimate one to begin with.

He only relaxed once he recognized who had entered his domain – or… er… the room.

"Sky Maiden," he greeted quietly, so as not to disturb Lucy's sleep. The diminutive Dragon Slayer could hear him just as well at this volume as with a normal vocal range. Cobra opened his eye and lifted himself up a little to peer at the girl, who was unfortunately in his blind spot at the moment. Although he didn't really need to see her, he would prefer to keep potential problems in plain view.

With his wounds, pretty much everything was a potential threat; especially other Dragon Slayers. No matter how young and unassuming they might be.

Nor how unfailing polite this one was.

Plus his legs were tangled up with Lucy's and his left arm was numb from her using it as a pillow.

The girl gasped softly, and then bowed upon recognizing him. "Cobra-san!" she whispered. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to disturb your rest! I was just looking for Lucy-san…"

The dark mage stared at Wendy. She hadn't even questioned in her mind about his presence or the fact that he was supposed to be in prison. Cobra rolled his eye at himself. Of course she accepted it. It was kind of a given that all Dragon Slayers had been summoned to fight the dragons. He must still be partly asleep.

He nudged the coverlet back enough for the girl to see the golden crown of Lucy's head. "You found her. She's asleep though." Cobra listened to Wendy's thoughts for a moment, and then added, "Feel free to check her for injuries; just be careful. It was hard enough getting her to fall asleep the first time."

Wendy nodded, her blue pigtails swishing with the motion. Approaching cautiously, her hands hovered over Lucy's prone form without touching her skin. The bluenette frowned upon finding the burns and scrapes. Pale magic swirled at her fingertips, soothing the blonde's aches and pains.

Once the glow had faded, Wendy turned to Cobra with a look of pure gratitude so sincere and sweet it made the criminal want to gag. While she had attended to her teammate, Cobra had sunken back into his previous position with Lucy's head cradled against his collarbone. Wendy bowed again to the other Dragon Slayer. "Thank you for taking care of her."

Cobra snorted, startling the little Dragon Slayer. "Other way around, Little Dragon."

She smiled, her eyes softening as they drifted to the blonde Celestial Wizard. Her lip suddenly started to tremble, and she hiccupped from trying to hold back a sob. Relief at Lucy's wellbeing swept through her small body like a hurricane.

Images of Lucy's death poured into Cobra's mind, and he inwardly cursed. The little girl had seen the other Lucy sacrifice herself for the woman she'd marked as family.

"I-I d-don't know w-w-what I would d-d-do," Wendy closed her eyes and clenched her fists from the effort of speaking through her tears, "if s-s-she died." She furiously wiped the salt water from her face.  _'Lucy-nee, I love you! Please don't leave me, too! I couldn't bear it if I lost you like Grandine, like Cait Shelter. Mystogan, and Mest. Everyone leaves. Please don't go!'_

And now the Dark Guild mage was faced with yet another crying girl. This was ridiculous. This needed to stop. Right now. He sighed in mild exasperation. Wendy was extended family now thanks to the marks. There was really nothing he could do to stop himself from helping at this point. His reputation was going to take a beating from all this caring he was doing lately. Something needed to be done about this weakness for crying females. He had no real experience with the phenomenon – Angel had been made of far sterner stuff than her male guild mates, and to his recollection, had  _never_  been moved to tears. Midnight, yes and often. Angel, not so much. In fact, she was usually the cause of Midnight's tears.

With as gentle a movement as he could manage, Cobra pried himself back from Lucy. Peeling her away from him was no small feat, but a few undignified wiggles later a vacant spot appeared on the narrow bed between himself and the other mage.

"Get in," he ordered with a huff.

Like her sister, she didn't need a second invitation. Approaching the bed on her tiptoes, she pulled off her hair accessories and laid them beside the whip on the nightstand. Then Wendy crawled over the dead-to-the-world Lucy and under the coverlet. It was a tight fit between the two adults, but she smiled into Lucy's chest as she made herself comfortable within Cobra's embrace that he refused to fully relinquish over the blonde.

Cobra wheezed in pain as Wendy accidently elbowed him in his stitches.

Immediately the little healer flipped around and glared at him. "Why didn't you say you were injured?" she scolded, bringing her hands up to heal him. "Oh, don't give me any of that," Wendy snapped when Cobra gave her another long-suffering sigh.

"Don't wear yourself out." It wasn't a request, and Wendy nodded in acquiescence. Cobra frowned, listening to her magic levels drop. He would stop her by force if they became too low. The girl was already dangerously close to overexerting herself. She wouldn't be able to save anyone else if she were dead of magical exhaustion. Lucy was her sole reason for existing at the moment – it was the only thing that had guided her to the room and prevented her from trying to heal the world's wounds at the potential cost of her own life.

It was unnerving to him just how much Wendy seemed at ease with his presence, even to the point of climbing into the same bed. Not that she was in any actual danger. He wasn't into children, and all his dragon instincts screamed in protest at the thought of harming youngsters. Was it because she trusted Lucy's apparent judgment? Did her instincts also indicate that he was no threat? Or was he just not as scary as he believed he was?

Hopefully it was one of the two former, rather than the latter.

His musings were interrupted by the Sky Dragon Slayer's quiet inquiry, "Is Lucy the one who performed this operation?"

"Yeah."

The glow flickered twice and disappeared from Wendy's hands. "I've done what I could to ease the pain and promote new tissue growth. Two layers of stitching would have been preferable…"

Cobra tensed at the thought.

"But Lucy did well," Wendy concluded. "Although, if you weren't a Dragon Slayer, you probably would have gone into shock and died regardless. You don't need much healing from me; your magic should take care of your wounds on its own." She paused, biting her lip and suddenly nervous. "By the way, Cobra-san… do you mind me asking what gave you these wounds?"

The other Dragon Slayer grunted in acknowledgement. "Not entirely sure what it was. I was distracted by a high pitched screech when it attacked me, and it was gone soon after the noise ceased." It was almost as if the creature had been summoned by the unearthly keening whine. Something about that being had felt off. Cobra had been able to sense the tattered remnants of a soul behind the filaments of light that composed its ghostly claws, but after that noise he couldn't make out any details – not even its species. Discombobulated from the shriek, he hadn't been able to mount a proper defense, which resulted in his injuries. For a monster that seemed so incorporeal, it could do some real damage.

Wendy nodded at his explanation, small fangs further abusing her lip almost to the point of drawing blood as her frown deepened. "I heard that sound, too! I wonder what it could have been?" A shudder wracked her body as she recalled the forlorn, despairing screech.

Cobra knew full well where it had come from. Wendy didn't need to know that Lucy's attempt to destroy the gate had indirectly resulted in his injuries, and he wasn't about to inform the blonde either. He didn't blame her for it. That gate was a malevolent beast they would probably never fully understand. It had called out to that  _thing_  when it was under attack. Given that the monolithic structure was comprised of living magic from  _The Book of Zeref_  and that of Celestial Spirits, it was entirely possible that it had a life and will of its own. Plus, a quick perusal of the girls' memories revealed that the damn thing had claws. Was he really the only one that noticed  _the fucking claws?_

Understanding from Cobra's silence that the matter was closed for discussion, Wendy faced Lucy again. The blonde mumbled in her sleep, but made no other protest or indication of waking. Giggling, Wendy thought,  _'I wonder what she's dreaming about?'_

"World domination," Cobra supplied, closing his eye. Although Wendy took it as such, it wasn't a joke. Lucy really was dreaming of taking over the world. In fact, Cobra held a starring role in the somnambular production as her trusted advisor, capable of locating dissent in the masses and detecting betrayal from her subjects with a mere glance. The Maiden of the Sky was there as well, as a healer and little sister figure. Natsu was the court jester.

The woman had the makings of a true supervillian. Cobra would know – not that Lucy would really appreciate the observation.

Cobra wouldn't mind making the blonde's dream a reality if she gave even the slightest indication that was what she truly desired. He'd already followed two madmen bent on world domination and destruction. It might be a nice change of pace to follow a mad _woman_  the next time around.

Plus, Natsu would be – quite literally – the fool. That was motivation enough. Although the bells on Natsu's outfit would have to go, lest they drive him insane (more so than he already was).

Then he recalled the other matter he needed to discuss with the Dragon Slayers.

"Sky Maiden." He didn't bother opening his eye, as he heard her paying attention. "Make sure the other Slayers stop marking Lucy so often. You too. Too much dragon magic could poison her. Once every couple of months is fine, though." Pausing for a moment, he clarified, "Marking, not poisoning, I mean."

Wendy flinched at the news that she'd nearly hurt the woman she considered an older sister. "I-I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked. "I d-d-didn't k-k-k-know! And I'm a healer, I s-s-s-should've noticed!" The little girl hiccupped, about to turn on the waterworks once more.

To forestall the deluge, Cobra quickly said, "It's fine; I took care of it already. You don't have to know everything!"

"H-how did you…?"

"My element is poison, so I used it to negate and eliminate the older marks," Cobra explained, his relief immense at how fast the girl was calming down.

That statement invoked Wendy's curiosity about all things related to healing. "Poison to cure poison?"

"Yeah. Like how antivenin is made from the venom it's meant to counteract." Brain had once, laughably, attempted to create one for Cobra's poison. It hadn't ended well for the test subjects.

Understanding dawned on Wendy. "I see. Allergy medications are made from the allergen, too. I guess those can be considered minor poisons, right?" At Cobra's grunted affirmation, she continued, "And I think water is sometimes poisoned in order to purify it without magic."

"It's called chlorine. And yes, it's a toxic gas in its natural state." It also tasted pretty good, in Cobra's opinion. Bleach was his favorite drink.

"Uh… um…" Wendy stuttered. "Can you tell me more about poisons and antidotes? I would really like to improve my abilities, and…"

"Yes, fine. But later," Cobra responded. "I would like to rest."

"Okay!" Wendy buried herself in Lucy's ample breasts again as if they really were pillows (they certainly  _looked_  comfy).  _'Thanks, Cobra-nii!'_

Cobra's eye flew open at the stray thought, his gaze boring into the back of the bluenette's head.

The Sky Dragon Slayer realized a second later what she'd thought about the dangerous man next to her. Her face flushed all the way to the tips of her ears, and her eyes spun. "I'm sorry! I mean, if you don't like it, I won't call you by it, and I, well, I'm just so sorry! It was an accident and –"

"Stop babbling."

Wendy promptly shut her jaw with an audible snap.

"Good. Go to sleep." He sighed and closed his eye.

"Y-you're not… angry?" she asked hesitantly.

"No. I don't mind the endearment."

' _Then why do you always sound so angry?'_  Shaking the thought off, she tried to relax enough to sleep.

' _Great,'_  Cobra thought.  _'I can still scare small children without trying.'_

That had been… surprising, being called someone's older brother. Was not altogether unpleasant.

As he listened to the even breathing of his companions, he wondered what the Oracion Seis could have been if they had remained as close as they were at the Tower. Would they have succeeded with Nirvana, or the Infinity Clock? Would they have broken away from Brain and Zero's control long before the incidents? Could they have joined an official guild, or made one of their own?

If more dragons had poured from the gate, or if the battle had continued much longer the world would have burned. Cobra doubted that Era's prisons would have withstood the onslaught, even as far away as it was from here. Eventually the dragons would have arrived on wings of death.

Could the other members of the Oracion Seis have died without having ever tasted freedom again?

That was unacceptable. Cobra would use all of the power at his disposal to free his comrades. For remembered affection, if nothing else. He would even stoop to using Lucy, or blackmailing the Rune Knights that had freed him to fight the dragons. After all, he'd never claimed to be a decent person, even back when he might have passed for such.

And he could hear them, in the distance. The Demon Gates were stirring, and the portal to the Underworld was opening. There was also that monster that attacked him. Battles yet lay on the horizon for Lucy and her guild.

She would need all the help she could get.

And if Midnight and Angel retained grudges towards Lucy for their defeats, well they would just have to  _get the fuck over it_ , for their own safety. The woman had a bevy of half-feral Dragon Slayers more than willing to come to her aid – himself included.

* * *

**_Now You Don't Like The Sight Of Mirrors_ **   
**_Cause You're Scared That The Face You'll See_ **   
**_Will Look Just Like Before_ **

_**\- September "Satellites"** _

* * *

Rogue pondered the series of bad decisions he'd made in his life to arrive at this point in time. Befriending Sting in the first place ranked rather high on that list at the moment.

There was no longer any doubt in Rogue's mind as to the mental acuity of his partner. Sting had done many questionable things over the course of their friendship, but as often as not had displayed a remarkable clarity in the face of adversity.

This was not one of those times.

He was clearly suffering from too many blows to his thick skull. Either that, or Fairy Tail's insanity and propensity towards spectacular dumbassery were contagious. Rogue's respect for the guild aside, he was well aware that their average IQ fell far below the standard (he would have to be blind and deaf to  _not_  notice). A trait he was now certain his partner shared.

Sting was sporting underwear on his head.

Not his own, either.

Or even  _male_ underwear, for that matter.

In his own defense, Rogue had tried to stop his new Guild Master from disgracing not only himself, but all of Sabertooth as well. The well thought out arguments had yet to permeate Sting's blood-brain barrier. Several minutes of fruitless debate with the bored, sleep-deprived blonde had convinced him that reasoning with a boulder would have been more productive.

When Lucy Heartfilia had left him and Sting behind at the Eclipse Gate, she'd put Sting in charge of organizing the survivors that appeared there. The Dragon Slayer of Light had done a remarkable job, to be honest. Sting had the makings of a great leader; people naturally listened to him and his calm demeanor was reassuring amongst the desolation.

Rubble was cleared from the courtyard in record time; Rogue had even assisted though his participation was limited due to his injuries (not to mention Sting's almost violent protests that Rogue was straining himself too much). Frosch had been put to work as well when she'd arrived. She had only been too happy to contribute to the efforts around the square. Her Dragon Slayer partner had come first, though, and when Rogue's energy started to flag (causing him to accidently phase out and drop several glass objects, shattering them irreparably) Frosch picked him up and levitated him for a while to prevent further helping.

Wendy-san and Chelia-san's arrival had prompted the setup of a triage tent made from material scavenged from the nearby homes and pillaged castle stores. A mess tent had been erected as well from the pilfered materials. To the relief of all who knew him, Sting did not have anything to do with the actual preparation of meals and instead left the logistics up to the position's volunteers (otherwise the healers would be dealing with cases of chronic food poisoning as well – Sting had nearly killed himself and Rogue several times over the years during unsupervised cooking attempts). Makeshift sleeping cots were set up in a third tent for the exhausted mages.

Sting even mediated the squabbles that inevitably cropped up as tempers and pain ran high.

The pink haired spirit of Heartfilia-san had shown up midmorning. Sting had decided to make a second infirmary of the Honey Bone Inn, as suggested by the Celestial Mage. It was likely a treasure trove of useful supplies as well. Virgo, the spirit, had remained to assist with clearing a path to the inn. Once completed, she'd returned to her world with a bow.

Path clear, there was no force in Earthland capable of stopping the Sky Dragon Slayer from rushing to her teammate's side. Normally a shy girl, she was on the verge of a draconic rampage at being potentially denied access to the older woman she clearly adored. The senior healer, an abrasive older woman by the name of Porlyusica had released Wendy-san on the condition that the tired girl got some rest upon arrival. Chelia-san was ordered to the sleeping tent. The young girls were amazing healers, and had saved dozens of lives but they had exhausted themselves in the process. Consuming air to replenish their energy only worked for so long – overuse of their magic could still cause them permanent damage if they weren't careful.

A few of the other medic mages were sent out to locate more survivors and wounded; a couple would set up the new infirmary.

It was at this junction that the royal army and the princess of Fiore had chosen to make an appearance.

Rogue had not taken kindly to how they'd shown up only once everything had been mostly taken care of. Nor did he react well when they ordered Sting to relinquish command of the relief efforts to the princess and her entourage. Royal blood did not a great leader make, and Sting had proven himself a very capable one. Sting, on the other hand, had ignored Rogue's indignant protests and promptly gave up his control. He claimed that he needed a solid nap anyway.

Once out of earshot of the nuisances, Sting had pulled Rogue aside and explained to the other Dragon Slayer that solidarity was needed right now. Having the royal family in charge brought far more confidence to people than a young upstart Guild Master could provide no matter how he proved himself. Acquiescing without a fuss also displayed a magnanimous nature that Sting wanted to cultivate for Sabertooth. Also, he was exhausted. Someone else could deal with the problems from here on out. He'd proven to Blondie, and to himself, that he could do this.

Rogue had never been more proud of his friend and Guild Master.

Which made the man's current daft behavior all the more baffling.

Rogue much preferred rational Sting to underwear-on-his-head Sting.

"Look, look! Rogue! Look! It's all lace!" A pair of black, lacy panties was dangled in the air in Rogue's general direction.

"Not interested," the Shadow Dragon Slayer replied, the fourteenth iteration of the same response he'd been giving to Sting for almost half an hour. He was seriously starting to contemplate melting into his shadow form to escape the inanity. "Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. I don't know you."

A matching bra appeared, joining the panties hanging from Sting's fingertips. "C'mon, man! You're such a killjoy! It's not like she's awake!"

He shot a glance at the blonde woman slumbering in the bed next to Sting. Indeed, the owner of the undergarments was still slumbering away in the embrace of not one, but two other Dragon Slayers. The small bluenette Rogue recognized as Wendy Marvell, but the tan, adult male Slayer was unknown to him.

Rogue attempted to discern the nature of the mysterious Dragon Slayer's relationship with the blonde mage, but the woman was so dragon-marked that he couldn't even begin to tell which one belonged to whom. Let alone if it was a mate mark or a familial mark. He didn't understand why he even cared. Maybe he was just bored at having to babysit the incapacitated Sting. Who had – to Rogue's horror – hobbled up to the girl upon arriving and sniffed her. Thoroughly. And by extension, the other two as well.

It was clear that the redhead had a bond of some sort with his two bedmates, though. Heartfilia-san was certain to be furious at the panty raid Sting was pulling, and Rogue didn't want to have to deal with two Dragon Slayers in a protective snit on behalf of the Celestial Mage.

Merely being in the same room as the woman who was so terrified of him she couldn't even look at him was stretching his nerves as it was. Rogue knew he would have to get used to the feeling of being hated, though. The more people that discovered the true identity of the culprit behind the dragon attacks the more Rogue was going to have to endure by way of hatred and fear.

Every wound, every broken bone, every death, every piece of rubble would be laid at his feet.

And every teardrop shed.

His stomach roiled at the prospect; he hadn't even done anything. A traitorous voice deep inside him whispered,  _'Yet.'_

' _How do you atone for something you haven't even done yet?'_

Rogue stared at the golden-haired woman for a moment longer. The other version of himself had done something to the girl. But what, exactly? Was it… Could he dare hope that it was something forgivable in the end? If just one person who suffered at that man's hands could forgive Rogue, he felt like he could face and shoulder the blame for the rest of it. Just one person.

Or had the other Rogue perpetrated a truly irredeemable evil against the Celestial Mage?

Repressing a shudder, he glanced out the window he was lounging by. Activity in the distance caught his attention for a moment before Sting's singsong whine penetrated his ears, "Rogue! You're ignoring me! Don't ignore your best friend! Your buddy! Your pal!" His voice dropped an octave and he continued, in a much more serious tone, "Your Guild Master."

Clenching his jaw, Rogue refused to look at him. "I don't associate with people who wear underwear on their heads," he hissed.

Something light settled atop his skull, and Rogue froze as a see-through, white, gauzy object fell over his eye.

"There!" Sting declared, very proud of his aim. "Now we match!"

Whipping the offending bra off his face, Rogue hurled it back at Sting with as much strength as he could muster. It collided with his partner's face with a satisfying smack.

"Yeowch!" Sting complained, holding a hand to a blossoming red mark on his forehead. "You got me with the hook!" In retaliation, the Light Dragon Slayer grabbed a handful of lacy underthings and flung them at Rogue. Most fell short, scattering about the room, as panties were not as aerodynamic as bras. The ones that hit their mark, however, were promptly chucked back by the irate brunette.

After several more volleys, the two ran out of energy (and negligee) to continue with the panty warfare. Heartfilia-san's delicates were now strewn everywhere in the room. Some lay at Rogue's feet, others rested upon the floor or on the woman herself, as her bed lay between the combatants. Yet others were still firmly in Sting's possession.

Sting righted the dark pair of panties that had been knocked askew on his head. "Arrg," he growled, in a horrible approximation of a pirate accent. "Must not lose me hat."

A headache started to form behind Rogue's eyes. To alleviate the pain, he rubbed his temples with two fingers. "Weren't you supposed to be tired?" he muttered.

"My leg hurts too much to sleep," Sting replied, unhooking a bra strap that had caught on his ear. He raised a fine eyebrow at the almost insubstantial article of clothing. "This thing is completely made of lace. Does it actually do any supporting at all?" Flipping it over, his eyes bulged upon reading the size tag. "Whoa. Blondie is  _stacked_."

' _Make it stop. Just… make it… STOP.'_ Rogue left off the soothing motions and face palmed instead. "Just go to sleep," the Dragon Slayer groaned.

Fixing Rogue with a stare, Sting enunciated carefully (like  _Rogue_  was the idiot in the room), "My leg is still broken and it hurts too much to sleep. And they won't give me painkillers."

A wise decision on the part of the healers, as far as Rogue was concerned. The other Dragon Slayer was difficult enough to handle when he was merely sleep deprived. A loopy Sting would be an absolute nightmare. Messes left by sober Sting (though uncommon) could be horrendous – and Rogue had no intention of cleaning up after an impaired Sting (drunk Sting could do more damage than the dragons and had less reservations about attacking random passersby). "You refused healing for your leg, if you recall. Of course they're not going to give you opiates; they're going to save them for people who aren't acting tough. Emphasis being on the  _acting_. Your request made you sound like a junkie looking for an excuse to receive narcotics."

Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, Sting tilted his head up and away from Rogue. He gave his partner a haughty sniff more befitting a snobby debutante than a member of the second strongest guild in Fiore. Despite how precariously perched upon Sting's head the panties were, they failed to budge or slide at all during the movements.

Garnering no reaction, Sting swiftly tired of his aloof act and dropped it. Attention riveted once more upon the blonde Celestial Mage's undergarments, his partner was soon forgotten.

Just  _what_  was with Sting's fascination with those things? Rogue couldn't even  _begin_  to guess. He kind of wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.

Sting extracted a red thong from the Fairy Tail Mage's travel bag, displacing Frosch's sleeping form within. Clad as always in her favorite outfit, she had at some point during Sting's raid crawled into the bag to take a nap. The green cat stretched at the disturbance to her chosen resting place, and then curled up again. Her tail tucked underneath the chin of her frog suit, the tired Exceed soon fell back into her slumber.

"You never quit, do you?" Rogue asked, sighing.

"Says the King of Stubborn himself," Sting quipped. "Okay, I'm stumped. I've seen Blondie's caboose. How is this itty-bitty piece of cloth supposed to cover anything? I mean, this thing is a fraction of the size of Minerva's boy shorts."

Rogue was going to ignore the statement until one particular phrase caught his attention. Hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and his hands suddenly went clammy. "Sting," he started, hesitant to know the answer to the question he was about to ask. Unlike before, however, it needed to be asked, and he needed to hear the response. He just really, really didn't want to.

"Yeah, Rogue?"

There was no way he wasn't going to regret this. "Why do you know what kind of underwear Minerva wears?"

Sting looked at him in puzzlement. "Because I went digging through her dresser. She has three whole drawers dedicated solely to this stuff, can you believe it?" Nonchalantly, he twirled the thong around his finger.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer's eyes widened in horror. "Are you completely insane?!" he hissed. "Or suicidal? What on Earthland possessed you to go through that monster's undergarments?!" It boggled his mind that his partner had managed to survive this long if this is what he was doing in his spare time.

"Lector hid my favourite copies of Sorcerer Weekly in there!" Sting defended himself.

Of course it was the russet Exceed. That cat had a lot of guts stashing things amongst that woman's underwear. Which begged the question, what exactly did Sting do to force his number one fan into taking such drastic action? "You should've given them up for lost. And where was I during all this?" Rogue would have caught Minerva's scent on him if he'd been anywhere near the guild at the time this occurred.

Sting shrugged. "A mission or something. I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this. She wasn't even that pissed off about it when she caught me."

' _She caught you?! And you're still alive?!'_  Rogue could not formulate the words out loud. Instead, he sputtered incoherently.

Continuing, Sting said, "If anything, she was rather amused by it. She did tear up the magazines in front of me as punishment, and I might have cried a little. Lector was forbidden fish for two whole weeks; he definitely cried. Then she forbade me from telling anyone else… about… it…" He trailed off and went pale as realization struck. "Shit. Oops. My bad. You're not going to tell anyone, are you? I mean, I would like to  _not die_."

Rogue was pretty sure that ship had sailed long ago but… Sweat poured down the Shadow Dragon Slayer's face. "Likewise." Minerva wouldn't stop with just Sting's murder if she ever caught on that Rogue was aware of the transgression to her unmentionables.

A soft rustle of cloth alerted Rogue to movement on the bed occupied by the two Dragon Slayers and the Celestial Mage. A blonde head ducked beneath the coverlet for a second and grumbled into the Sky Dragon Slayer's head. To Rogue's sensitive ears, it sounded like she said, "When did Wendy get here?" The muffled words awoke the unknown male Dragon Slayer, for his breathing pattern altered and his heart rate increased. Although now aware, the man did not move at all.

Throwing a glance at Sting, Rogue saw that his partner either hadn't noticed the awakening of the Fairy Tail Mage, or he didn't care enough to stop juggling the woman's bras.

Heartfilia-san's head reemerged from the bedding. Rogue heard her heartbeat pick up and her breath hitch when she heard Sting start talking to himself. She held herself perfectly still while listening to the idiot.

Rogue felt a chill run down his spine as he watched; the calm with which the blonde comported herself was not that of a prey animal, freezing in its tracks at a sign of danger. No, this was the single-minded focus of a predator waiting for its target to make a mistake.

"I wonder why Blondie packed so many pairs of panties? I mean, the Grand Magic Games were only supposed to last a week. There's got to be at least three-dozen matching sets here. And once again, why are they all lace?!"

A crown of golden locks slowly rose over the tan Dragon Slayer's bulk to peer at Sting on the bed beyond. Only her eyes cleared the obstacle, her countenance resembling a crocodile peering over water at its hapless victim.

Sting would not have to wait for Minerva to murder him. Heartfilia-san was going to do it long before the Territory Mage had the opportunity. Very grateful that the woman had not yet noticed his presence, Rogue wondered if he should warn Sting of impending danger.

Despite what it must look and sound like to the Celestial Mage, Rogue knew that Sting probably didn't mean anything by the panty raid. Simple instinct-driven curiosity was behind the other Dragon Slayer's actions; the need to familiarize himself with the scent and possessions of someone marked as family. When Dragon Slayers decided that they liked someone, they could turn into obsessive little cretins. Just as with the Sky Dragon Slayer girl, Sting had made for the Honey Bone Inn with such single-minded determination that it would've been dangerous to try to stop him. The Dragon Slayer of Light needed to reach the blonde woman, and needed to connect in some way other than the mark. An instinctual prerogative to understand her was in control of Sting's brain. So, since she was asleep, he went through her things.

That the bag Sting had extracted from beneath the blonde's bed contained embarrassing articles of clothing was mostly a coincidence.

Then again, Sting was now sniffing her underwear, which was completely unnecessary – and extremely awkward for Rogue to observe.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer decided to leave the moron to his fate. Other, more important matters called for his attention. He surreptitiously nudged the incriminating evidence of his own panty salvos underneath the bed nearest the window with his foot. Sometimes a man needed to concentrate on saving himself.

"Hmm? What's this?" Sting had spotted a mysterious object within the travel bag that had escaped his earlier attentions. Gently shifting Frosch aside, he withdrew an unadorned, locked, wooden box. It wasn't particularly impressive, other than being made of what smelled like cedar. Sting suddenly shook it, listening to the soft rattle from inside. "What's in here?"

Slowly, so as not to alert the oblivious White Dragon Slayer, the owner of the box lowered her body behind the shield of her companion's bulk. She stretched her arm out behind her towards the nightstand. Once the smooth handle of her whip touched her fingertips, she clenched it tightly and drew it towards her, the length of the weapon hissing softly as it scraped against the nightstand and the floor.

The sibilant sound was lost on Sting, who was still shaking the box next to his ear trying to divine the contents.

The tan Dragon Slayer finally moved, flopping from his side to his back and releasing his hold on his blonde companion. With one smooth movement, the woman abruptly shot to her feet, her whip firmly in her grip. However, she didn't count on the bluenette girl reinforcing her own hold on her teammate. Wendy-san was still clinging to Heartfilia-san's waist in a death grip, half hanging off the older girl with only her lower legs still on the mattress.

Although it seemed to throw off Heartfilia-san's balance a little, she ignored the Sky Dragon Slayer and raised her whip. The bedframe beneath her feet creaked.

Sting finally took notice of the other blonde, turning his head and grinning blithely at her. "Ah! Blondie!" he greeted, cheerful that she was finally available to interact with him.

"Sting," she said, with utter calm. Her whip glowed for second, then blue, water-like energy erupted along its length. Gold sparks flew off it in a dazzling display of raw power. The weapon flowed and twisted in ways Rogue was certain no normal whip should be able to.

The White Dragon Slayer's facial expression took a turn for the apprehensive. It had finally occurred to him that he might be in trouble.

Although it was difficult to see from his position, Rogue was certain that the Celestial Mage was smiling brilliantly at his partner. "I think it's time I taught you a little something about boundaries and how to respect them."

A matching grin adorned the redheaded Dragon Slayer's face, the man clearly very amused by this situation.

The blonde suddenly snapped her weapon in an overreaching arc above her head. Rogue winced, anticipating that it would hit the ceiling and rebound on its wielder to whack her painfully in the face.

However, as soon as the sapphire whip touched the drywall above, it changed its trajectory and  _slithered_  across the ceiling towards its target.

Sting could only gawp as the glowing weapon twisted in midair, forming loops around him. In complete bewilderment, he found himself trussed up with a coil of the whip over his mouth to stifle any protests he might make. He ineffectually clawed at the restraining blue object, only for his fingers to pass through it as if it really was a liquid.

Rogue could almost see the question marks surrounding his friend's head. The male blonde's expression practically screamed  _'I don't know what the fuck is going on, but I don't like it!'_  It did not bode well. That look usually precipitated Sting's brain short-circuiting and him going completely and utterly dragon-shit on whatever or whoever caused his condition (sometimes that man could be a total pain in the ass).

The whip's coils tightened around the blonde Dragon Slayer, and Heartfilia-san giggled cheerfully.

_Holy shit, that sound was scary._

Worse than dragons destroying the world scary.

"Now, Sting," Heartfilia-san said, her voice half an octave higher than her normal speaking tone. "It is extremely rude to go through a woman's undergarments. Those are very private articles of clothing, and are only to be seen when we woman deem it appropriate. They are to be treated with respect, just like women themselves. Are you following me so far?"

Sting nodded enthusiastically. Apparently, in some dragon-hormone crazed part of Sting's brain this counted as getting to know a marked one. He was rapidly calming down.

"Good! Believe it or not, you are not the only person to commit this transgression. Erza, Gray, and Happy also had that dubious honor. You are not even the first Dragon Slayer I've caught going through my underthings. In fact, two have gotten there before you. As I have only just met you, and I think that you are capable of maturity, I am not going to kick you into a wall like I had to do to Natsu – several times." Her security deposit had been given up as lost long ago. "I didn't really blame Wendy for looking, since she's a young girl and was just curious." With that statement, the blonde woman ruffled the Sky Dragon Slayer's head fondly with her free hand.

"Now, here are some basic rules to follow. First, let's leave the commentary on personal style choices inside our own skulls. These things cover the most intimate parts of a woman's body, and whatever makes us comfortable is what flies. Personally, I like all clothes with lace. It's a holdover from my upbringing along with a good head for numbers. Secondly, these things are delicate and  _expensive_  and not meant to be stretched over someone's head." She gave the Light Dragon Slayer a stern look. "That would be why laundry machines have a delicate cycle. Third, you should always pack more underwear than you need. Especially if you're a female mage with an arsonist for a best friend. Also, Happy likes to leave dead fish in inconvenient locations. Like my bureau. He seems to think it's funny to make them wear my clothes. Fourth, changing underwear often is a must, and I honestly don't understand how some men can wear the same pair for a week – with the exception being Gray, as he is barely able to keep them on at all."

She took a deep breath, and then continued her lecture. "Fifth…  _don't fucking sniff them_. That should be obvious, and should require no further explanation. Sixth, don't toss them about like leaves in a wind storm, or use them as projectiles because your friend is ignoring you."

That was when Rogue came to the horrifying realization that the Celestial Mage had been  _awake the entire time_. As had the red haired, tan Dragon Slayer, if the knowing smirk on his face was anything to go by. The whole bit with the Sky Dragon Slayer had been for Sting and Rogue's benefit, a way of alerting them to her presence. She'd given the pair a grace period to clean up their mess and save face.

She really did understand Dragon Slayers. It was the only explanation that made sense to Rogue. While Sting had gone through her underwear, she had calmly waited for him to get it out of his system before she decided to lecture him. And even then all she was doing was restraining and muffling Sting – no further damage had been done to the already injured Dragon Slayer. More worrisome, though, was the fact that she'd managed to  _hide_  the fact that she was awake from  _Dragon Slayers_.

The woman suddenly smirked. "Last but not least, number seven. If they don't look like they cover everything, they're probably not meant to."

Eyes bugging out of his head, Sting stared at the blonde woman while his brain processed all the new information.

The other Dragon Slayer burst out in hysterical laughter, startling Rogue and Sting. Heartfilia-san stared at the scarred man in horror, as he fitfully stated, "You three are a riot!"

His female companion glared at him. "Don't make me look for your ticklish spots, Cobra. You know I will."

Apparently the threat was a valid one, as the laugh died somewhere in the man's throat, a strangled gurgle the only sound to make it out.

The door suddenly opened, and a man clad only in his boxers lurched into the room. "Lucy! Mira said you were up here. Are you…"

And that was when everything rapidly went downhill, almost too fast for Rogue to follow.

Disturbed by the noise of the slamming door, the Sky Dragon Slayer shifted her weight and grip around the blonde's waist. Unfortunately for the older woman, the action caused the bluenette to finally succumb to gravity as she slid down her teammate's legs to the bedspread – Heartfilia-san's leggings and underwear going with her.

It also threw her off balance.

Teetering, she flailed her arms and released her whip, freeing Sting. Then she stepped forward to regain her balance, shrieking at her sudden state of undress.

Her heel dug into Cobra's inner thigh. To which he yelped and sat straight up, accidently face planting into the side of her breasts.

It was at this point that the bedframe decided that it had taken quite enough abuse, thank you very much. With a groan, the bed collapsed, dumping its occupants all together in a confusing tangle of limbs and sheets.

"Gah! Lucy!" the raven-haired intruder yelped. "Wendy!" He rushed to help them, while Rogue stared, dumbstruck at the scene before him.

The astral weapon now returned to an average whip, Sting casually threw off the coils around him. "Well," he remarked, with a calm that clashed with the situation, dark panties still atop his head, "this is awkward."

* * *

**_Even An Angel Can End Up Falling_ **   
**_Don't You Cry Because You're Crawling_ **   
**_Start Again, It's A Beautiful Morning_ **

_**-September "Satellites"** _


	7. Looking For Answers

_**If You Had This Time Again** _   
_**Would You Do It All The Same?** _   
_**I Wonder, Would I?** _

_**-Emma Hewitt "Colours"** _

* * *

After Lucy, Cobra, and Wendy had successfully untangled themselves with the help of Gray, and once the Celestial Mage was in decent dress once more, the three relocated to Wendy's bed. Wendy had failed to fully awaken despite the kerfuffle. Instead, she latched onto Lucy once more and growled in her sleep when Gray attempted to remove the diminutive Dragon Slayer.

It surprised all the mages in the room when Cobra crouched down until he was eye level with the slumbering girl. "Calm down, Little Dragon," he growled back at the Sky Dragon Slayer, his voice like gravel. "Your sister needs to stand up and she can't do that with you clinging to her."

To further their astonishment, the young girl had immediately complied. Lucy, with the help of her male teammate, stood up and made to grab the bluenette. Instead, she found that Cobra had already scooped her up and placed her on the new mattress. He then lifted his shirt and stared at the now red bandages. "I think I popped a stitch, Twerp." Glancing back up, he returned their stares. "If you are done gawking…?"

Lucy rushed to get fresh bandages while Gray continued to contemplate the Poison Dragon Slayer. To Cobra's ears, he seemed torn between protective outrage over his two honorary little sisters  _snuggling_  with a criminal and relieved that nothing appeared to have happened beyond the rather embarrassing scene he'd walked in on. A quick glance at Lucy and Wendy convinced the dark-haired man to back down for now.

He asked, "What is that you just did? You know, to make her let go of Lucy?"

The man shrugged. He wasn't entirely certain where it had come from, but he suspected the dragon lacrima had exerted its influence once again. That thing could still surprise him, even all these years later.

Sting laughed, reminding the two of his presence. "Weisslogia used to do the same thing to me when he thought I was being obtuse." His smile acquired a bitter edge and he swallowed a lump in his throat. "It probably reminded her of her dragon."

Another awkward silence suffused the room. Gray had heard from Natsu about how the two Sabertooth Dragon Slayers had murdered their dragon parents. Now he wondered if there was more to the story.

Lucy's hands stilled in their hunt through Wendy's medical kit. In the corner of her eye, she watched as Rogue moved from the corner he'd been standing in to Sting's bed where he picked up his slumbering Exceed partner. Once she was in his possession, he walked to the other side of the room, where Sting's form blocked him from view.

Cobra, though, was listening very intently to the thoughts of the Shadow and Light Dragon Slayers. Trying to locate the evil Lucy had witnessed within Future Rogue, he was perplexed by what he was hearing from the other Dragon Slayers' souls. Something wasn't clicking about them. Like there was something he was missing. It was not lost on him though was Rogue's care to try to stay out Lucy's main line-of-sight, out of concern for the blonde's lingering terror and aversion to him. Cobra was begrudgingly impressed by the other Dragon Slayer's show of respect and his genuine intent to foster good-will.

Gray cleared his throat and glanced at Cobra, "Is that my shirt?" Then the Ice-Make Mage held up a hand. "You know what? Nevermind. You can keep it."

Cobra thought Gray was taking this situation rather well, all told. Not that he would ever say it out loud. "I won't be keeping the shirt. It has a freaking butterfly on it." Indeed, Cobra was finding it very difficult to project a lethal aura while wearing this particular article of clothing.

Gray shrugged. "It was cheap."

"Take it off," Lucy ordered, having finally located the bandages. She focused all of her attention on her new friend - determined to ignore the presence of the Shadow Dragon Slayer in the room. Cobra would be her best chance at a distraction, and he was more than willing to perform that role.

Complying, Cobra then threw the shirt at the Ice Mage. "Why don't you put it on. While you're at it, find some pants. Fucking weirdo." He sighed and sat down on the edge of the mattress, legs too tired to persist in holding him up. In response to the warm body next to her, Wendy scooted closer and wrapped her arms around his middle, intent on using him like a giant teddy bear.

Cobra yelped at the pain the small Dragon Slayer's actions unknowingly caused. Lucy rescued him by gently prying the girl's hands away from the injured criminal and placing a pillow in her grip. Wendy sighed softly and accepted the substitute, much to Cobra's relief.

While Lucy unwound the old bandages and inspected the damage to her brutal repair job, Gray stared at the angry red, puckered flesh. Blood trickled out of one of the closed gashes.  _'Did Lucy help him?'_  he wondered, incredulous. His teammate had a big heart, so it wouldn't really surprise him if she had. It would explain the ease with which she dealt with Cobra and the man's tolerance of her.

Lucy scowled at the Dragon Slayer. "I can't see anything with you sitting up. Lay down."

He flopped on his back, glaring at her for the order.

She wiped away some of the blood. "Looks like you just tore the skin around the sutures a bit. The stitches are still in place," the Fairy Tail Mage observed aloud. A square of gauze was pressed firmly onto the tear. "Sit up and hold this." After Cobra was upright and had the thing in his possession, Lucy started the process of rewrapping the clean bandages around him.

Gray realized he'd been staring, and cleared his throat awkwardly again. "Last I heard you were in prison? How's Angel doing, by the way? So I can let Dan know when next I see him." That wasn't quite the full truth – he was actually concerned for the former Celestial Mage's wellbeing for himself. Their battle had left an impression on him, and the woman's struggle against her parasitic Angel Magic had him wondering about long term side effects.

"Obviously I'm not in prison." Smirking at the bristling man before him, Cobra continued, "Last I heard, Angel was fine. We're kept in different areas." He paused, something registering in his mind, and he nearly snarled at the implications. "Dan is that little weirdo who kept hitting on her in the middle of battle, right?"

Lucy and Gray both sweatdropped and replied in concert, "Yeah, that would be him."

"Well, keep him away from her," the poisonous man warned as Lucy finished replacing his bandages.

The Celestial Mage raised an eyebrow at her new friend. She had figured out over the course of their talks that the Poison Dragon Slayer cared for his guild mates in much the same way as she did. "Feeling overprotective of your sister figure?" She had to restrain her giggles at the profoundly disgusted face Cobra was making. "Okay, not your sister. What is she then, and does Kinana know?" she teased him.

Gray couldn't help but stare at his blonde teammate. Lucy had a screw (or three) loose like most Fairy Tail Mages, but normally she kept it hidden better than this. What was really interesting, though, was that Cobra was allowing her to needle him in front of other people. Not with any grace, mind; but still – he hadn't gone psycho killer on them yet. So there was that.

"Angel…" the criminal trailed off, thinking very hard about the question. This was a difficult query to respond to, because he had never really thought about it before and she was just… Angel. She'd been family at one point, she'd delighted in torturing him on numerous occasions, and she had been a comrade of sorts. There was no definition for the relationship. Unless 'Female Brother' counted, and Cobra wasn't sure he was prepared to deal with the consequences of that supposition should the woman (and he used that term  _lightly_ ) in question ever discover he'd said it. "Angel is Angel," he finally decided upon.

"That doesn't explain anything," Lucy sweatdropped. Then she added, "But then again, having met her, maybe it does…"

A loud grumble echoed across the room.

Cobra raised an eyebrow at the now furiously blushing blonde.

"Look," she grumbled, embarrassed and certain she was about to be teased, "I haven't eaten since the day before yesterday, okay? So don't say a word."

"Awww, Blondie!" Sting said, giving her a look full of pity, "You don't need to go on a diet! You look fine the way you are!"

Lucy ground her teeth together. "I know you meant that well, but you just sound condescending. I'm not on a diet! I was locked up in an underground labyrinth until just before the dragons showed up!"

Gray laid a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head and trying to keep from laughing. "Lucy, why don't we go downstairs and have Mira cook you up something good? She's in the kitchen right now and I'm sure she would like to see you."

The blonde hesitated, and glanced askance at Cobra.

"Bring me back something good," he said. "I'll keep an eye on the Sky Maiden for you." He slid his legs under the covers next to the other Dragon Slayer, his back against the headboard. Wendy immediately gravitated into his side, pressing up against him with her pillow still firmly in her clutch. "See? She doesn't mind. Bring something for her, too. Broth. You should only drink broth, as well, Twerp. Since you haven't eaten in two days, you should eat slowly and pause between bites. You'll just throw it all up if you eat too quickly. Trust me on that. Actually, broth sounds really good to me, too. Bring us both broth."

"Awfully presumptuous of you," Lucy muttered, only for her stomach to let out another growl.

"I suggest you hurry up." Cobra smirked. "Before that monster eats us all."

She fumed. "And why can't you just get it yourself?"

Cobra blinked at her, giving her a wary look, like she might be crazier than him. "Most people don't like me to get near their food." He held up a hand to forestall any indignant protest on his behalf. "I never said that it wasn't a well-founded and valid concern." Poison your guild mates' food just once for kicks and all of a sudden word gets around that you can't be trusted around food.

Her eye twitched. "I might just poison  _your_  food, you know."

He stared at her, his expression unreadable. "You would do that? For me?" he asked quietly.

Lucy realized then just how much the man would  _enjoy_  poison in his food. And potentially benefit from it. "You know what? I'll see what I can scrounge up."

Cobra's smile was minute, but Lucy still saw it. With a wave, she and Gray left the room and shut the door behind them. As soon as they were out of sight, Cobra placed a hand on Wendy's head. Stroking her hair lightly, he turned his indigo gaze on the other two Dragon Slayers in the room.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself. I am Cobra, the Poison Dragon Slayer." He grinned, light flashing off his fangs and a feral gleam in his eye.

"And I think it's time we had a little talk."

* * *

_**Of The Promises We Made** _   
_**Is There Anything You'd Change** _   
_**In The Re-runs Of Our Lives?** _

_**-Emma Hewitt "Colours"** _

* * *

Downstairs in the Honey Bone Inn was a flurry of confusing activity. There were people being brought in on makeshift stretchers, others were receiving instructions from a man wearing the uniform of the royal army, and several people were rushing about ferrying supplies and trays of food to the rooms and those resting at the tables.

With uncanny swiftness, Mirajane spotted Lucy and Gray on the stairs. "Lucy! Gray!" the Take Over Mage greeted with a bright smile. She opened up the bar divider and strode towards them, ignoring the protests of the knight whose order she had been taking. Once the two were in reach she enveloped them in a bone crushing hug. "I'm so glad you're both alright!"

"Urg," Gray groaned, struggling to escape the heartfelt embrace before his spine wound up in the front of his chest. "Mira! You just saw me ten minutes ago!"

Unlike Gray, Lucy snuggled deeper into the white-haired mage's hug. Mirajane had always reminded her of her mother, and she loved any excuse to wrap herself up in that comforting warmth. She felt like she especially needed it now.

Her grip tightened around the two mages. "I know! I missed you so much!" Abruptly, she stepped back from them, yet retained a firm grip on their shoulders. She eyed them critically. "Has the stress of the battle finally caused you two to realize your feelings for each other?!" she demanded, and then she squealed. "Black haired, brown eyed babies! Or! Or! Blonde haired babies with cobalt eyes!" She was practically bouncing in place.

"How many times do we have to tell you, Mirajane?" Lucy whined. "Gray and I are like siblings! We don't feel that way about each other!" There was no way she was going to tell Mirajane that she'd accidentally flashed Gray and three other males just a few minutes earlier. Also, she would neglect to mention how Sting had gone through her undergarments like a child looking for candy… wait, horrible analogy. The blonde Dragon Slayer should consider himself lucky she didn't kick him through the wall.

"Hmm… maybe ten minutes wasn't long enough to leave you two alone together…"

Gray blinked. "That's why you sent me up there…?"

"Mira!"

"Aside from which, we weren't exactly alone," Gray attempted to reason with the baby-crazed Take Over Mage.

She gasped. "That's right! When I went up there to check on Lucy, I found her getting cozy with a tan, maroon haired man with a scar! And with Wendy snuggled up in there you looked like a happy little family!" Releasing Gray, she focused all of her attention on Lucy and gripped her hands so she couldn't escape. "So, Lucy. Tell me about him. Who is he? What's his name? How do you know him? And what color are his eyes?  _This is very important, Lucy_." With each sentence, her face came a little closer to the blonde's.

Lucy squeaked at the terrifying woman's proximity. She shot a venomous look that Cobra would've been proud of at Gray, who was rubbing his shoulder. He shrugged halfheartedly, as if to say, ' _Every mage for themselves._ ' He was certain that he was going to have bruises on his shoulder in the shape of the demon woman's fingers.

"Well, Lucy? I'm waiting for an answer."

"Uh… umm…" Lucy stuttered. "His name is Cobra, and he used to be a member of Oracion Seis. His eyes are indigo. Why?"

Mirajane squealed in happiness. "Oh! A bad boy! Good going, Lucy!" Then her eyes widened and she gasped again. "Blonde haired, dark skinned, indigo eyed BABIES! I HAVE A NEW FAVORITE SHIP!"

"Um… Mira?" Lucy tried to get her attention. "I don't really plan to settle down yet. And I don't even have anyone I like in a romantic way, either. Also, you're crushing my hands." She was ignored by the other mage. Sighing, she thought,  _'Erik? I'm sorry for what I'm about to do. Really, I am.'_

' _Huh?'_  she heard him in her mind.

Without pausing to contemplate the fact that the Soul Link had started to work both ways, Lucy opened her mouth and threw her new friend to the wolves – or in this case, the white-haired demon. "Mirajane, I'm not Cobra's type. In fact, he told me…"

' _Damn it, Twerp! Don't you dare!'_

' _And you could've warned me Mirajane was here!'_  she shot back at him, conveniently forgetting that Gray had told her long before they had descended the stairs. "He told me that he likes purple-haired, large breasted women with green eyes."

It took Mirajane a few moments to cross-reference every woman she knew against Lucy's description. Once it dawned on her who fit those parameters, though, her eyes started shining in excitement. She released Lucy's hands, and her own flew to her mouth. "Oh, my!" Her eyes sparkled as she imagined the children. Abandon ship, she had a new pairing to fawn over! So cute!

' _Now listen carefully, Erik. I'm going to get you out of this,'_  Lucy promised him.

She could practically see him raise an eyebrow at her.  _'I'm listening.'_

"Mira," Lucy offered, distracting the woman mid-daydream. "If you want to fill the guild with babies so badly, why not fill it with your own?"

Gray inhaled sharply at the suggestion, his eyes darting to Mirajane in terror as the woman turned serious. She appeared to consider it, her forehead creased in concentration.

Lucy swore she could hear Cobra laughing in her head. Actually… no. She could hear him laughing from all the way upstairs.  _'You have no idea what you just unleashed, Twerp!'_  he bellowed in her mind.

Grabbing Lucy by the shoulders, Gray swung his teammate around to face him. "Lucy, do you know what you have done?" he asked in horror.

"Not really?" She was confused by the Ice-Make Mage's behavior.

Nervous sweat poured down his face. "Why did you say that? To Mirajane?"

Lucy stared back at him uncomprehendingly. "Because I'm a big believer in the whole 'turnabout is fair play' concept?"

He shook his head. "Do you know why no one says that to Mirajane? Ever?"

"I had noticed, yes, but I never gave it any thought. Does she go Satan Soul on them?" she inquired, fear taking root. "Oh, Mavis, she's not going to go Satan Soul on me, is she?"

The Ice Mage shook his head again. "No, Lucy… the last time someone suggested what you did, Mirajane went around asking every guy she saw if she could…" he trailed off intense chills traveling up his spine.

"If she could what? Gray?" Lucy prodded her teammate in the collarbone. "Come on! Tell me!"

"She asked them if she could bear their children. Then Elfman had to go around beating men up and shouting that as a real man he would protect his sister's virtue."

The Celestial Mage returned to staring back at Gray. "You're kidding me, right?"

Upstairs, Cobra roared with laughter so hard he literally busted his gut (losing two, possibly three of his stitches).

At that moment, Lucy's stomach let out a veritable roar of its own in direct competition with Cobra. (And there went a fourth stitch. She hoped Cobra realized that she wasn't going to fix them for him. He could just suffer for laughing at her. He brought this on himself.)

Snapping out her thoughts, Mirajane smiled brightly at her two guild mates. "We should get something to feed Lucy's pet monster with!" she chirped.

Groaning, Lucy wondered if it really did sound like she had a beast in there. She couldn't help that she had a healthy appetite! Or that everything she ate went to her chest. She blamed genetics.

Gray grinned and with Mirajane's help successfully shepherded Lucy to the back room behind the bar where the staff would normally take meals. "Doctor Cobra recommended a broth since she hasn't had anything to eat in a while."

Mirajane's gaze turned sharp as she glanced at Lucy again. "Are you sure about his preference in women…?"

"Yes," Lucy stated. "He's…" She trailed off, considering just what her feelings  _were_  towards the poisonous man. Being wrapped up in his protective embrace held warmth that was very familiar to her. It was the same as when Natsu held her, when Mirajane smothered her, when Gray patted her on the head, when Wendy grasped her hand, and when Erza shared her cake. Even if he had gone through her brain like Sting did her underwear (which was far more invasive), Cobra mattered just as much to her as the rest of her friends. "He's family, Mirajane."

A slow, soft smile spread across the Take Over Mage's face. "Then he's our family, too, Lucy. And Fairy Tail protects its own."

The Rune Mages might be in for a surprise when they eventually arrive to return Cobra to prison.

"But," Mirajane added, "that doesn't mean you can't fall in love and have tons of adorable babies for me to spoil!"

This woman refused to give up! "All I did was save his life, Mira. Trust me, if that was all it took to start a relationship, the guild would be overrun in pink-haired brown-eyed babies by this point." She paused, and then, before Mirajane started to get further ideas, added, "I think you should look forward to pink-haired blue-eyed babies, or white-haired babies with onyx eyes if Lisanna finally gets the nerve to confess to Natsu. Because let's face it – Natsu is never going to figure it out on his own."

"Hmm…" the calculating gleam in Mirajane's eyes intensified. "I like the way you think, Lucy." She placed two bowls of steaming soup on the table in the room. Lucy hadn't even seen her make the bowls, or carry them for that matter. Actually, she'd never seen Mira make any food at all. It just appeared. (She would say 'like magic' but that would be a bit much. And possibly the actual explanation for the phenomenon.)

Sitting next to Gray, on his left, Lucy tucked into the delicious beef broth that Mira had provided, forgetting in her hunger Cobra's sage advice about her intake rate. After a handful of spoonfuls her stomach rebelled. Clutching the table with white knuckled hands, she waited as waves of nausea broke over her. Only once they had passed did she attempt the food again – much more slowly than before.

The barmaid giggled at the hungry girl and slipped out of the room, no doubt to begin her diabolical plans for NaLi, as she would call it.

Gray nudged her gently with his elbow. "Good job on the distraction front." She shot him a queasy smile. He picked up a spoon and started in on his own bowl.

Time passed in companionable silence as the duo slurped up their soup. It really was wonderful, and exactly what the Celestial Mage had needed. Once she had finished, Gray whisked her bowl and his away before she could even think about cleaning up. He left, and then returned a moment later with two more.

This one Lucy drank with great care, taking the opportunity to savor the taste a little more. It was even better than the first, in her humble opinion.

Gray fiddled with his spoon, only taking a few sips of the broth. He was of the same opinion as Lucy when it came to Mira's meals, even though he normally stayed away from anything quite so warm. Other things clouded his mind.

He admitted defeat, and set the spoon down. "Lucy?" he asked, peering into the swirling depths of the bowl as if it would tell him what to do.

"Hmm?" she hummed, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

She frowned. Setting down her own spoon, she turned to look straight on at Gray. "What do you mean?"

"I…" Gray swallowed a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "Natsu told me," he whispered, head bowed low. "Not all, but some of what happened. At the palace." He hated that he hadn't been there to save the other Lucy. It wasn't fair. He should have gone to rescue her. Gray wouldn't deny that as Lucy's partner, Natsu had the right to go after the blonde but… she was his best friend, too, damn it! He should have been there. She was  _Lucy_  – his little sister, his best friend, and the light of the guild.

_He should have been there!_

Lucy sighed, loss choking her as well. She should have known the walking fire hazard wouldn't keep his trap shut. "How much did he tell you?"

"Just that Future Lucy died in your arms. And that he promised her that he would protect the future for her. For you, too." Gray couldn't even imagine what that must have been like, to see her die. Lucy dead didn't even bear contemplating. Without pausing to consider his actions, or how Mirajane might misconstrue his actions should she see, he reached out with his left hand to lightly brush his fingertips against the pink Fairy Tail mark on the back of Lucy's right hand. To reassure himself that she was still there.

Gray still remembered the day Lucy joined Fairy Tail with a clarity that astounded him. He didn't recall his own induction into the chaotic guild with the same detail as he did Lucy's. She probably never noticed that he had paid attention from the moment she walked through the door. He'd wanted to talk to the gorgeous girl Natsu had somehow duped and conned into coming with him. Asking to borrow her underwear may not have been the most auspicious of first meetings, but he couldn't say he regretted it.

She had been so proud of that mark. So happy to belong.

Lucy flinched away from his cool touch, reminded of Future Lucy's own preoccupation with the mark. Withdrawing her hand from Gray's, he felt its loss keenly as pain lanced through his heart. Then he felt her arm tuck underneath his, and she interlaced their fingers together.

Heat pooled in their palms, but for once Gray didn't mind the increase in temperature.

They remained like that for a few minutes, the soup cooling in the air. "Another time traveler murdered her," Lucy explained, her grip on her teammate's hand tightening. Gray waited patiently for her to continue. When she was able to, she said, "It was a future version of Rogue. From seven years down the line."

It was Gray's turn to strengthen his hold on the Celestial Mage, as if it were Lucy's only lifeline.

Lucy thought he sort of was a lifeline – though now he wasn't the only one. She had Gray, Natsu, Wendy, Erza, Happy, Loke, everyone in the guild and all her spirits. And now Cobra, too. Her family was getting larger. "He was very different from our time's Rogue, so don't blame him for anything. He hasn't done anything wrong, but it's… it's hard to look at him without remembering. All I can see is his face, full of rage, and her laying there on the tile, bleeding. With my face, my eyes, my voice. I hear his voice and, instead, hear Future Rogue's declaration of death. She sacrificed herself for me, you know. That could have easily been me who died." Tears slipped down her cheeks, ones she didn't bother to wipe away. "He was aiming for me!"

"I'm sorry." Saltwater trailed down Gray's face now, too. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

She nudged him with her shoulder to show him that he was forgiven, and then laid her head against his shoulder. It was the type of position that would have her squealing in as much joy as Mirajane if it had occurred in one of her favorite romance novels. And she did love him – just not in the same way those fictional heroines loved their heroes. Her eyes closed, and she deeply inhaled Gray's scent, mixed with Cobra's now because of the shirt he had somehow managed to keep on (although his pants were still missing in action). With his breathing, her head rose and fell.

He laid his head down on top of hers. Ash and grease still coated her locks, dulling their natural golden shine. Even with all the residue of battle, he could still faintly smell her strawberry shampoo – which she had brought from home, of course. No complimentary hotel products would ever touch her vain scalp, though she had never had any trouble with getting herself filthy during a mission. It was one of the things he admired about her – no matter how much time she had spent primping and looking absolutely perfect, she would ruin all her efforts in a heartbeat just to help her team. Without a second thought.

The scent might've been all in his mind, as it had been two days since she'd taken one of those long baths he and Natsu often walked in on (half of the time it was just to annoy her – at least, it was on Gray's part. Natsu? No clue. Gray didn't  _want_  to know what went on in the primordial soup that passed for Natsu's brain).

"I love you, Gray," she spoke with quiet finality. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I love you, too."

* * *

_**And We Never Took The Time** _   
_**To See Where We Were Going** _   
_**We Were Only Passing By** _

_**\- Emma Hewitt "Colours"** _

* * *

Sometime later, Lucy opened her eyes and stared out the back window. "Gray," she said, not moving from her comfortable position.

"Yeah, Lucy?" he murmured into her hair.

"Why is the city on fire? …Again? Didn't the dragon attacks stop early this morning?"

Gray shifted a bit. "Um… yeah. About that. Lyon, Juvia, Me, Eve, and that mage from Twilight Ogre were putting out fires until just a little while ago. But apparently no one thought to pay attention to that flame dragon that was hanging out with Natsu. It landed on top of a warehouse full of those super large firework displays they were going to use for the GMG closing celebrations. It surprised the dragon, and it took off and landed on a mattress store, a brewery, and finally a flour mill. And you can imagine how that went." He sighed. "We decided to let Natsu handle the flames. His dragon buddy, so it's his problem. We're taking a break."

Lucy sighed as well. "Well, I guess that answers my question about dragon-size Natsu. Now I just need a Gray one."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," she reassured him. Patting his chest with her left hand, she said, "We should probably get some more broth. I'm still hungry."

"Uh huh," Gray agreed.

Neither moved.

* * *

_**All The People That You Knew** _   
_**They'll Be Waiting There For You** _   
_**All The Faces That We've Seen In This Life** _

_**-Emma Hewitt "Colours"** _

* * *

Cobra was positively delighted by the reactions his statement elicited from the Twin Dragon Slayers of Sabertooth. A combination of fear and wariness, followed by concern for the blonde that had just exited the room. Also concern for themselves, as the fact that Cobra had waited until she was gone to address them was not lost on the duo.

Too bad for them, getting worried for nothing. Cobra honestly thought the panty war was one of the funniest things he'd ever heard. That the blonde had managed to drag his much more serious minded partner into the whole thing was deeply amusing. Besides, Cobra had done much the same thing as Sting to Lucy – sifting through her thoughts looking for something to connect to.

After his little snoop session earlier, Cobra now knew better than even Rogue did that the Shadow Dragon Slayer wouldn't become the monster that had set dragons loose upon Crocus. At least, not without a significant push. It took a special and specific type of person to do that – he was the expert, having participated in two world takeover attempts (that the Magic Council was aware of, at least, and he wasn't about to disavow them of  _that_ illusion anytime soon).

Rogue presented an interesting puzzle for Cobra. The man had absolutely no intention or desire to hurt and destroy the ones he held dear, a trait clearly not shared by the Future Rogue. It made Cobra curious as to what could change in a mere seven years to force a person to make such a transformation when they were not already predisposed to it. For his own descent into the darker side of the world, Cobra had been too young to understand the consequences of his decisions (not that he'd really had much of a choice). When that day eventually came, he couldn't have brought himself to care even if he had wanted to. That part was just… gone. Brain had cut it from their souls. But this had not happened with Rogue.

When Cobra listened in to Rogue's soul, it was like he was actually hearing two. Rogue might not be capable of Future Rogue's actions, but this other being certainly was. Even if Rogue was only aware of its presence at important junctions when it chose to show itself, Cobra could hear it even now. It whispered to its host, it jeered and laughed at the futility of the Dragon Slayer's will.

It was aware of Cobra's inspection, too.

How utterly fascinating.

Two separate souls in one body was a novel concept to the Poison Dragon Slayer. Soul fragments usually assimilated with that of the host leaving no trace behind.

What was worthy of note, judging by the man's memories, was that he was a twisted little son of bitch all on his own. Not quite up to Oracion Seis or Future Rogue's caliber, but bravo! Cobra was impressed, regardless.

His claws itched to take the Shadow Dragon Slayer apart, to see how he worked. A rather unfortunate character trait he'd picked up from Brain along the way. Even Midnight hadn't inherited that part of his father's personality. Pushing Rogue towards becoming his counterpart would be amusing. However, there was that pesky fact that Future Rogue had murdered Future Lucy and Cobra was becoming rather fond of the blonde. He wanted to keep her. Preferably intact. He was a selfish bastard like that.

He clicked the tips of his claws on his free hand together in contemplation, smirking as the other two Dragon Slayers flinched at the sound; their nerves still raw from their battle with the dragons. Sometimes his more draconic appearance came in handy, especially when it came to intimidation tactics. If he were to be honest, he would have to admit to the fact that he liked simply scaring people more than actually harming them. They would often deal more damage to themselves than he felt like inflicting.

What was Lucy's description for him again?

Ah, right.

Controlled malevolence.

_How he loved that!_

And then the Impertinent Twerp had to go and interfere with his carefully crafted plan and make him laugh. Until he started bleeding. And crying.

This was just not his day.

No matter. He could swing this to his advantage, too.

Verbal battle, much like physical combat, often required a talent for improvising on short notice anyway.

"You should see the looks on your faces!" he yelled, tears of mirth streaming from his good eye (his tear ducts on the right were no longer in service).

Sting and Rogue stared at him in horrified bewilderment.

Cobra shook himself to free his head of the blonde's thoughts. She was in good hands with that Ice Mage of hers, so there was no need to concentrate on her. Also, random outbursts of laughter were hard to explain away.

He snorted at the thoughts running through the presumptuous little blonde snot's head. "No, I am not a part of Fairy Tail. In fact, I'm insulted that you think I belong there." Smirk widening, he added, "And no, I'm not reading your mind. I can hear your thoughts, but it's not mind reading." It was a bit of a touchy subject for the Poison Dragon Slayer.

Then Cobra added, "Thinking, 'Banana banana banana,' over the top of your actual thoughts will not prevent me from hearing them, so do us both a favor and just stop." To his relief, Sting listened to him. It would have been troublesome keeping a straight face with that mantra repeating over and over again in his brain.

"So what did you wish to discuss?" Rogue asked, cutting to the heart of the matter.

"You, mostly. I am curious as to where you picked up that nasty little hitchhiker in your soul." A grin swept across his face. "And trust me; I know nasty when I hear it."

Rogue's crimson gaze was cold despite what the colour would suggest. "Forgive me for doubting the motives of a criminal, but I do not see how it is any of your business."

"And that would be the difference between us, wouldn't it? There is a high likelihood of you becoming a monster in the future, whereas I've been one as long as I can remember." He scratched his wrist, the memory of manacles long outlasting the original source. "And yet, I too am a Dragon Slayer. The eldest, in fact. Which leaves me with a certain obligation towards the rest of my kind. Although I am a Second Generation and you are a Third, there may be some advice I could offer to you."

Sting smirked. "For a price, I take it?" Now Cobra was speaking his language!

Maybe this blonde wasn't as stupid as he first appeared. The underwear perched atop his cranium would indicate otherwise, though.

"I am not incapable of a certain amount of gratitude. Aren't you Light Guilds supposed to believe that one good turn deserves another?" Cobra sneered.

The White Dragon Slayer sneered right back. "Clearly you've never dealt with Sabertooth."

"What is it that you want?" Rogue interrupted the argument before it could get out of hand. He didn't feel like dealing with the pissing contest going on in front of him for any longer than he had to. "Somehow, I don't believe you desire a simple favor, if the rumors about you and your past are true."

Cobra was starting to like this one. Healthy skepticism would get him far in the world – though perhaps the line should be drawn at making him a king. "I am indeed exactly as advertised. However, I have obtained all that I desire. This has left me with… options to consider where none existed before. Namely, I would like to not be pursued by Rune Knights any longer." He closed his eye and lifted his arm in a 'what can you do?' gesture. "Not that they are any trouble to subdue, but they are persistent bastards and quite an annoyance at times."

"Tch." Sting scoffed at the older Dragon Slayer. "I can imagine. Much like you Dark Guild bastards."

"Good thing that I am no longer part of a Dark Guild, then." Cobra opened his eye and focused on Rogue once more. "I would like myself and my former comrades released from prison on a permanent basis. I can deal with ambiguous legality so the exact method isn't an issue, although the more above-board the better."

The Twin Dragons took a moment to process the offer. "Not that I plan to aid you, or anything, but couldn't you just hightail it now with no one the wiser?" Sting pointed out.

"I could," Cobra admitted. "Right now I'm out on a temporary, conditional release to fight the dragons. As soon as the guy who let me out finds me, though, I'm going back. Willingly." He shrugged. "I don't really care about going back to Era's prison. I wasn't supposed to be let out, actually. The guy broke some strict guidelines to get me here. The rest of the Council isn't actually aware that I'm out. Now would be the perfect time to make good my escape. But I'm in a pretty good mood, and I did get the opportunity to kick some dragon teeth in on this little jaunt." Tapping a staccato jig on Wendy's head, he continued, "I can break out of prison at anytime. It would just be helpful to not have to work that hard at it or to have the Rune Knights breathing down my neck."

"Why release your former comrades, then?" Rogue asked. "It's been my experience that Dark Guild Mages don't usually care much about what happens to their comrades."

"Because I have a marked interest in fairness and equality?" Cobra offered.

Sting laughed. "A mass murdering psychopath doing something in the interest of fairness and equality? That seems a bit much, don't you think?"

Cobra smiled wryly at him. ' _What about a former child slave?'_  he mentally countered. Aloud, he said, "Then… to prevent them from coming after me for not helping them out, if you will. It doesn't matter to me why you think I'm doing it; all I care about is results. So do we have a deal or not, Rogue Cheney?"

"Hey, man, why am I not included in this?"

He raised an eyebrow at the White Dragon Slayer. "I suppose I can scrounge up some advice as equitable payment for your assistance as well, Sting Eucliffe." Though he had some serious doubts as to how useful Sting would in fact be.

Blinking, Sting was floored by the offer. Cobra hadn't needed to go that far – just some help for Rogue's little issue would have been enough to secure his involvement in the legally nebulous endeavor the criminal was proposing. Thinking quickly, Sting said, "Give me my advice first so we know it's worth something."

To his own surprise, Cobra laughed. "Greedy little cuss! There's hope for you yet!"

Sting wasn't sure how he felt about the compliment.

"Then my advice to you is this, Sting Eucliffe." The Dragon Slayer paused to gather his thoughts, and then continued, "First of all, if you wish to sound sincere in your apology to Lucy Heartfilia, I suggest you take her panties off your head. She'll be in a much more… open frame of mind to listen to you." Sting quickly tugged the lacy undergarments off and shoved them into her bag. "As for the rest of your apology… I cannot say with certainty how she will react. Your guild mate did indeed torture her, after all. And you laughed."

The Dragon Slayer growled. "I know that! And what good does that do me?!"

"Then let me finish. What I can say about Lucy is that she has an extensive history of forgiveness for wrongdoings against her. She's less forgiving when the crimes are committed upon her friends and Celestial Spirits, but your chances are good at securing it for yourself. Rogue should add in his own apology, as well, for Minerva's actions. I do find it rather interesting how you reacted at the time, though," Cobra said, critically examining the Shadow Dragon Slayer. "Or rather, your lack of reaction."

Addressing Sting again, he finished, "All you need to do is actually work up the nerve. I doubt she even heard you laugh, and she wasn't even conscious for your defense of your teammate."

Sting still looked nervous. "How do you know she will, though?"

Cobra rolled his eye at the younger Dragon Slayer. "I just said that I couldn't guarantee the outcome. Only that her history is in your favor." He swung his arm out to indicate himself. "Case in point. My comrades and I tried to sacrifice her to a clock a mere two weeks ago by her perception. We almost succeeded in erasing her very existence." Dropping the limb, he smirked. "And look at us now."

It still freaking blew his mind that she forgave him.

"That's not really advice," Rogue observed.

"But is it worth anything to you? Beyond that, is it worth your cooperation?"

Sabertooth's new Guild Master contemplated it for a moment. "Yeah, it is," Sting agreed. "I'm in. One way or another. Rogue?" He looked at his dark haired partner.

Rogue sighed in acquiescence. "Very well. I shall assist. You know just how desperate I am, besides."

Cobra looked at him with an unreadable expression for a few moments. "I do indeed know. In fact, I'm banking on it."

Not the wisest thing to mention to the Shadow Dragon Slayer, but Cobra knew that full disclosure was to his benefit in the long run. He was a monster, and sometimes he felt the need to remind people of that fact. So his next words surprised even him.

"It  _is_  possible to rise above your circumstances."

Rogue stared at the Poison Dragon Slayer. This was not what he was expecting at all.

"One of my comrades you will be helping to free is your proof. His codename with the Oracion Seis was Hoteye, but his true name is Richard Buchanan. He switched sides in the middle of battle – in large part due to a side effect of the artifact we'd unearthed, though he claims it was actually because of his true personality resurfacing." Cobra believed him, he remembered well the child who shared his cell. "If you require outside confirmation of this, you should speak to the Potato Head, or the Red Headed Monster."

Sting seemed stumped by the nicknames. "Okay, I get that the Red Headed Monster is Erza-san, but who's Potato Head? Also, aren't you technically a redheaded monster, too?"

"And you call Lucy 'Blondie,' you flaxen-haired moron. Or is the dye starting to seep into your brain?"

Outraged by the implication that any part of his glorious self wasn't one hundred percent natural, Sting growled, "I don't use dye, asshole."

"Then your blonde is showing."

"Piss off! And who is Potato Head, anyway?!"

"I think he means the Wizard Saint Jura Neekis of Lamia Scale. I believe he fought in the Allied Guild Coalition against the Oracion Seis, nearly eight years ago," Rogue supplied.

Cobra looked at him in amused silence, while Sting gaped at his partner. "How did you get that from Potato Head?" he asked. "Granted, his head does kind of look like a potato, now that I think about it…"

"Moving on," Cobra interrupted Sting, who huffed in annoyance. "Richard refused to join us for our second attempt at world domination. He said that he would much rather remain in prison than follow the path of the Dark Ones again. Jellal Fernandez, the Slave Master himself, is another prime example of redemption and all that crap." He clearly did not think much of the phenomenon, although he had to acknowledge its validity.

"Slave Master? That's harsh, man."

"Even I have lines I won't cross," the Poison Dragon Slayer informed them. "Resorting to child slavery to build a tower in the middle of an ocean to resurrect someone who wasn't even dead to begin with? Yeah, thanks, but no. That goes  _beyond_  the  _fucking line_." As one of those former child slaves, he had some rather strong feelings about the subject. He snorted in derision. "Although, I have to admit that Jellal is doing a decent job at fixing his past mistakes. He convinced them to let me out, after all. Albeit temporarily."

The White Dragon Slayer had nothing to say to that.

"It _is_  possible to change the path you're on, Rogue Cheney. It will be far from simple. You will face adversity from within and without. However, should you falter, I can offer you more one thing. Free of charge." Cobra paused, staring straight through Rogue. "I cannot give you what your partner can, for I am incapable of providing anyone salvation, or light. That being said, I can offer you a final solution to your problem should it become too much for you to manage. I can give you death."

Rogue's mouth was pressed in a firm line. "It won't come to that."

Head inclined in acknowledgement, Cobra responded, "But if it does, my offer will stand." The redhead tapped Wendy's skull again. "I will not inform you as to what your counterpart did to Lucy Heartfilia." Ironic; what Loke had told Cobra he had in turn repeated to this person. "It's her tale to tell, and although it is your burden to bear the sins of your other self, do not pin your hopes on her. She can forgive many things. But she will not forgive you." At that he paused to listen as Rogue's soul squirmed in pain, leaking despair like a sieve.

Such a delightful sound.

The Tower in his soul may be gone, but the damage would remain. Cobra would always be a monster.

"Because there is nothing to forgive," he finally relented, basking in the wonderful turmoil the Shadow Dragon Slayer was putting himself through. "In her mind, you are not the cause of her trouble. Give her time, and she will eventually be able to look at  _you_  without seeing  _him_."

Bowing his head, silent tears fell from Rogue's face onto his bedspread. "Thank you."

"No," Cobra snarled, startling the other mage into meeting his gaze once more. "Do not thank me. We had a deal, and I am fulfilling my part of the bargain. Also, this is a warning from me to you – that I will repeat as often as necessary. Do not pin your hopes on Lucy Heartfilia. Although capable of much, she is just one, young girl and you are an adult well able to carry yourself to where you need to go. There is only so much a single soul can bear before it breaks apart. Heaping expectations upon her to the point she cannot help but fall short will harm the both of you. We may even come full circle to our present circumstances."

His glare drilled into Rogue, preventing him from saying a single word in his defense. "And I will not allow any harm to come to her. Contrary to what a certain Lion believes, my regard is not so easily won from simply saving my life. I will do just about anything to keep those who hold my regard safe. Do you understand?"

"I do." Rogue's soft words appeared to reach Cobra.

Deeming them satisfactory, Cobra nodded. "Is this acceptable payment for what I have asked of you?"

"Yes."

"Cobra-san," Sting said, catching the Dragon Slayer's attention. "Just what did Blondie do for you, then?"

The man fixed Sting with the same glare that had transfixed Rogue. "That is between myself and Lucy." Reflexively, he searched for the Tower within his soul. Lucy's soul fragment greeted him cheerfully in its place.  _'The Tower is gone,'_  he thought to himself.

And with that, what was done was done, and what was said could never be taken back. He would just deal with the consequences as per his usual.

"I have more questions!" the Guild Master of Sabertooth demanded.

Sighing, Cobra waved for him to continue. The boy had every intention of bothering him until he conceded anyway.

"Why us? Why pick us to do your favor?"

The corner of Cobra's mouth twitched upward in a true smile. "You're more intelligent than you first appear," he remarked candidly. "And quite amusing."

"Somehow, that doesn't sound like a compliment."

"It's not. And I chose you two because you have access to a resource I would kill to possess. In fact, I have in the past." Taking pity on them, he elucidated, "Your teammate, Rufus Lore, and his eidetic memory. You should be able to convince him to assist with the simple challenge of it all, if I have the read of the man right from your memories."

Sting's stomach dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of his toes. This was what Cobra had wanted all along? Access to Rufus' brain? Exchanging a glance with Rogue, he found that neither of them had anticipated this turn of events. They had been thoroughly manipulated by the older Dragon Slayer. The man deserved the moniker of Cobra. He was a true serpent.

"I warned you before," Cobra smiled at them. It wasn't pleasant. "I am a monster, and have been from the start."

"How is it that you always played second fiddle to the world takeovers?" Sting blurted out. "Clearly you have no moral objection to the manipulation of others; you could have taken everything for yourself! Been in charge the whole time! Why didn't you?" He almost smacked his forehead as soon as the words left his mouth. He really shouldn't be giving a potential criminal mastermind ideas.

Cobra merely shrugged at the statement. "I couldn't be bothered," he replied honestly. There was little point to lying at this juncture, and the admission didn't cost him anything.

Sting stared at him, not able to believe that the sole reason this monster wasn't running the world was due to the man's sheer apathy and laziness about the idea. "Did they have something against you to make you cooperate?"

He blinked, surprised by the question. Brain had given him power to rise above the rabble, and Midnight had played upon old friendship and loss to secure his participation in the Neo Oracion Seis. "I suppose, in a way, they did," he conceded.

"Why didn't you blackmail us, then? I'm sure you could've?" Sting did smack himself this time. He really needed to think before he spoke. Not that it would actually help against someone who could obviously hear thoughts.

"You wouldn't have responded well to blackmail, and there was a chance you would double cross me in the future if I went that route. A debt left unpaid, however?" His smirk was malicious. "You will move the world to fulfill that obligation."

It was all the more frustrating for being true.

Cobra yawned, bored of this now. "One more question. Then I'm done."

This time, it came from Rogue. He thought maybe they should have asked this before they agreed to help the criminal and his friends, but there was nothing Rogue could do about it now. "What will you and your comrades do with your newfound freedom?"

Cobra's answering smile was genuine.

"Whatever we want."

* * *

_**All The Colours That You Bring** _   
_**All We Ever Want To Be** _   
_**All The Places That You've Dreamed This Time** _

_**-Emma Hewitt "Colours"** _


	8. Moving Forward

_**So I'm Starting To Regret** _   
_**Not Telling All Of It To You** _   
_**So If I Haven't Yet,** _   
_**I've Gotta Let You Know** _

_**-Nickelback "Never Gonna Be Alone"** _

* * *

Desperation clawed at Lucy's gut, a beast trapped. Panic rose ever higher as she attempted to ignore the sensations.

Gray had reluctantly extricated himself from their previous positions to retrieve a fresh bowl of broth for Lucy. He'd been gone for several minutes, sparking worry inside the blonde woman for his safety. The soup she had already consumed sat in her stomach like a lead weight.

Sighing, she drew her knees up to her chest and rested her heels on the edge of the bench. She wrapped her arms around her legs. Repeating over and over again in her head that she was being ridiculous. Gray wouldn't meet with some fell fate on the short walk to the kitchen! He was probably just talking to Mirajane; that was why he was taking so long to return.

When the door behind her clicked open, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Startled, she struggled not to fall backwards off the bench. A hand on her back steadied her, and Lucy turned her head to thank Gray.

Except that it wasn't Gray.

She blinked at the person before her. "Th-thanks," she said, trying desperately to place him. The man nodded, removing his hand. Lucy placed her feet firmly on the floor under the table once more while the stranger strode around to the other side. She took the opportunity to study him as he plopped down on the opposite bench. He stretched his arms out before him, hands splayed out and flat against the wood grain of the table.

Clad in tattered off-white and dirty blue robes, he was the very essence of haggard. Dark hair clung to his scalp; matted from blood and sweat it stuck up at odd angles. A five o'clock shadow added years to his face. Teal eyes returned Lucy's gaze with the same exhaustion she felt. Somehow, he felt familiar to her. But she didn't know anyone from the Magic Council, did she? Although it had seen better days, his uniform was a clear indicator of his affiliation to the group.

It wasn't until he absently moved some of his bedraggled hair from the side of his face that Lucy recognized the scars there.

"Mest!" she exclaimed in shock.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "Doranbolt, actually," he corrected, his hand returning to its former position before him. Then he chuckled, a self-deprecating sound. "I'm not surprised you didn't recognize me right away. It has been seven years, after all, and I wasn't really a part of Fairy Tail to begin with."

Lucy stared at him in confusion. "Of course you were a part of Fairy Tail," she remarked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "But you're right; I didn't recognize you in your Council robes. Besides, I wasn't your partner for the S-Class Trials. Speaking of which, Mest, Wendy is upstairs if you want to see her."

He was startled by her statement, for several reasons. She still considered him a part of Fairy Tail? To the point of using the alias he'd borne, even after he'd told her his actual name? Confused, he wondered if she meant it to be cruel; a knife to twist into him and a reminder of his betrayal. He wouldn't blame any of them for feeling that way; he'd abandoned them to a dragon. Too terrified to do anything other than stare in horror and piss his pants as they were wiped from existence.

Yet, the girl was smiling brightly at him. Her earlier gloom had dispersed upon her recollection of who he was. It was easy to see why Wendy idolized the older girl so much; his little partner had been unable to stop singing her praises during their training week.

He slumped, eyes downcast and defeated, but at the same time relieved. "Wendy is alright, then?" he whispered, curling his hands into fists.

Lucy noticed the action, and laid her own small hands atop his – the same comfort Gray had given to her, she in turn provided freely for another. "She is, although she overused her magic. She's sleeping at the moment; some other Dragon Slayers keeping an eye on her." She left out the fact that Cobra was one of them. He probably wouldn't take that discovery well. Although, now that she thought about it, that particular confrontation had quite the comedic potential.

She nearly groaned aloud at the thought. Cobra and his Soul Link were a horrible influence on her.

A crease in her brow appeared.

"Mest? I need to ask you something important."

"It's Doranbolt," his automatic reply weak, even to his ears. "What is it?"

"Mest," Lucy insisted and the man sighed, rolling his eyes and finally met her gaze again. "When we returned from Tenrou Island, why didn't you come to see us?"

The mage drew a shaky breath and tried to retract his hands, only for Lucy to press down on them so he couldn't escape. "What does it matter?" he mumbled.

"Wendy looked for you." It had broken Lucy's heart, watching the young girl search desperately amongst the faces of old friends for someone who never showed. All of the newness of a world changed after seven years of absence had eventually served to distract the bluenette from the mystery of her missing partner, but it had hurt her. How could it not? Yet another person had disappeared from Wendy's life without a trace. This time, though, it had cut especially deep. A strong bond of some sort had formed between the two mages it was obvious to see, and being picked as Mest's partner had given Wendy a powerful, much needed self-esteem boost. "She wanted to see her partner."

Doranbolt flinched at the slight accusation. "I didn't know," he admitted. "I didn't know that you guys had returned. After… after Tenrou Island I quit the Magic Council. For seven years, I hid in a backwater town and tried to forget what had happened." He was ashamed of his actions. Fairy Tail had deserved more from him than that; he should never have tried to erase what he'd done. "Lahar found me during the Infinity Clock incident and convinced me to help out. It was only afterward that I discovered everyone was alive and well." Lahar, the prick, hadn't see fit to inform Doranbolt about Fairy Tail's return, despite having known for a while. He let his friend wallow in the belief that he'd caused his surrogate family's deaths. Doranbolt didn't blame him, though, and was in fact sort of grateful. In his drunken, self-pitying stupor he might've done something rather foolish.

The blonde surveyed his expression, looking for something. "Then why didn't you come see us after?"

"I didn't feel like I had the right to face you guys."

His candid response surprised her. "Why did you think that?" She was gripping the tops of his closed fists, now.

In an act of mutiny, his hands loosened of their own accord and turned upward, so that Lucy's rested in his palms. Automatically, he curled his fingers atop hers. It was difficult to resist comfort proffered when a heart was so tried by days – no,  _years –_ like the last few. "First I betrayed Fairy Tail's trust, and then I abandoned you to that dragon. I couldn't even move when it attacked!"

Lucy looked down at his now trembling hands, perplexed. She thought back to the S-Class Trials, and tried to recall this man's actions at the time. "You did warn us." A gasp flew to her lips. "Not about Acnologia, but the Council. You… you told us about their plan to fire the Etherion at us! And then you even offered to get us off the island before it could reach us."

At the time, they had been so furious with one of their own betraying them, and at Grimoire Heart for hurting their friends. So angry and full of pride in their own abilities that they were sure they could take down one of the Baram Alliance without help from the one that had turned on them. Never for a second did they stop to consider what it must have cost Mest to inform them in the first place, let alone plan to get them to safety! It was blatant, outright treason to the ones that had held his true loyalty from the beginning.

He had cared for Fairy Tail enough to go against everything he had stood for. Just to keep them safe.

And they had thrown that concern and affection back in his face.

The Celestial Spirit Mage grimaced as she remembered her own words to the man.

As if that weren't enough, they had the gall to order him to do what he could to delay or stop the Etherion firing.

He must have succeeded, for the satellite squares never appeared.

* * *

_**And Now, As Long As I Can  
I'm Holding On With Both Hands** _

_**-Nickelback "Never Gonna Be Alone"** _

* * *

"I'm so sorry."

Flinching at the blonde's sudden apology, Doranbolt stared at her. "What for?" he asked, beyond confused.

"We didn't listen to you, back on Tenrou Island," Lucy admitted, blinking back tears. "Instead of acknowledging what you were offering to sacrifice for us, we insulted you. Berated you. Even made demands of you. We were…" She hiccupped. "We were brats in every sense of the word."

Doranbolt looked downright alarmed at her confession. "No. I should have tried harder to convince you guys. Or I should have just started evacuating you anyway; with my magic I didn't have to ask for your permission or respect your decision. Anything other than letting it happen and doing nothing to stop it."

Lucy gaped at him. He still thought it was his fault? She had the nerve to be angry with him for not showing up after seven years despite the way they treated him, and yet he was drowning in his guilt over respecting their decision to run straight towards death? Just how nice a person was he?!

It made her wonder about would have happened if they had taken him up on his offer. Would they have gotten to live the last seven years alongside everyone else?

She locked that notion somewhere in a box and shoved it deep into a cobwebbed corner of her mind. No what-if questions would help now. And that one especially would lead to nothing good.

If this was how they treated someone whom they had regarded as family, how badly did they treat everyone else? Fairy Tail had claimed on many an occasion that it was selfless but the bitter truth was that they were completely self-absorbed – going so far as to declare, on multiple occasions, that their friends were far more important than the safety of the entire world. Although Fairy Tail had rescued the world in many a dire situation, peace had reigned for seven years in their absence. Peace that was only disrupted by their return. That couldn't be a coincidence.

No wonder the Council despised them! They had proven time and time again that they didn't care for anyone outside their circle.

Okay, maybe that last one wasn't quite true. There had been clients and friends from other guilds along the way that Fairy Tail had cared about. Still, from the Council's point of view they were a pretty despicable, rowdy, destructive bunch.

It wasn't as if they were the only Light Guild with that attitude, however. Sabertooth was another. Which was beyond humbling. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus were hard put to cooperate with Fairy Tail during their brief alliance as well, now that she thought about it.

Sure, people made mistakes. Lucy could accept that. But where was the line drawn? What constituted an unforgivable sin? Murder? Slavery? Lucy had already forgiven Cobra, Jellal, Meredy, and Ultear for those very crimes. But who was Lucy Heartfilia, to forgive and absolve them of misery not her own? It wasn't as if she could stop herself from doing so, though. She had already forgiven them, and it wasn't like she could go back on that – let alone the fact that she still felt it right to accept their past crimes along with their willingness to change and move on. Lucy couldn't bring herself to regret any of it.

Yet the question remained as to the depths of how justified Fairy Tail felt in everything they did, even when they inadvertently caused other people pain (she would never believe any of her family capable of doing it on purpose – not anymore, at least).

The world, after all, had gotten along just fine without them. They hadn't been needed.

' _Twerp,'_  Cobra's deep voice resounded in her head.  _'Don't go weird on me. Believe me, you were needed. Think about it – consider who missed you.'_

So she did. Who? Who had missed them?

There were the other guild members.

Lyon, Sherry, Jura, Hibiki, Ichiya, Eve, Ren – and all their friends from Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Quatro Cerberus/Puppy.

' _ **Think,**_ _Twerp.'_

Frustrated, she mentally shouted back at him, ' _There was no one else, Erik! We were replaced! Outside our group of close knit friends, we weren't needed!'_

An exasperated sigh resounded in her skull.  _'You really have no idea, do you? How many lives you've affected? I can hear them all, you know. The mages who fought against the dragons and the other monsters that attacked tonight… they did so because they were inspired by your bonds and love for each other. And trust me – they missed you. Even these two morons up here felt the loss of Fairy Tail seven years ago. They mourned for you._

' _Oracion Seis did as well. For different reasons, yet the fact still stands that we waited for your return._

' _Also, take it from someone who is more selfish in a single cell that you are in your entire body – you aren't aware of just how selfless you are. Because to you that path is as natural as breathing, and you never pause to consider if it is the right thing to do or not._

' _Fairy Tail is a bratty guild, granted. Why else would your Master call you his Brats? You cannot, however, extend forgiveness to others without reserving some for yourselves. You are just as deserving of the right to make mistakes as anyone else. Even if they're horrible ones._

' _Do you know who else missed you?_

' _The man sitting before you. More than you can even conceptualize._

' _Don't belittle his suffering, with your completely unwarranted self-pity and insecurities._

' _You_ _ **both**_ _deserve better than that._

' _And if it bothers you so much – change it. But know that your family – despite its flaws – is one I am envious of.'_

Lucy sat in silence, stunned by the Poison Dragon Slayer's speech.

His words were hard to accept. Deep within her, she believed herself unworthy of the unwavering faith Cobra had just displayed for her.

However… she  _trusted him_. Completely. So she would do her utmost to follow his advice.

But Fairy Tail, not to mention Lucy herself, was going to have to learn to grow up. Soon.

"Mest."

Upon hearing his name, Doranbolt jolted. He had been just as lost in thought as Lucy.

Once she had his full attention, she said, "It's not your fault. We really were being spoiled, arrogant brats. No better than Sabertooth did, really!" A sad laugh accompanied that statement. "I think it's time we acted like the adults we are, and stop causing so much trouble for everyone. We can still have our eternal adventure, but maybe we could go about it a little more conscientiously. With fewer destroyed buildings."

It was his turn to snort in amusement. "I think if Fairy Tail suddenly started acting like responsible adults, they might really commit all your members to a psychiatric facility. I think there's a petition going around the Council for precisely that. Besides which, being an adult isn't that much fun, trust me."

While she searched for something to say and answers to her inner questions, he withdrew his hands from hers with little trouble. He pointed at the cold bowl of broth in front of her. "Are you done with that?"

Lucy glanced at it. Gray had forgotten to take the older bowls with him. "Yeah." She was shocked, then, when it was swiped from her. As the older mage picked up the discarded spoon to eat it, she protested. "Wait, Mest! That's gone cold!"

He shrugged and drank it anyway. For a moment, he closed his eyes. When they opened again, he smiled at her. "Mirajane's cooking is always the best, even stone cold."

Even if she hadn't already known it, this would have clinched it. Even if he had been a spy for the Magic Council… once a Fairy Tail mage, always a Fairy Tail mage. She laughed at him, putting aside her troubled thoughts for another time. "Yup!"

They sat in companionable silence while he ate. Once he was finished with the cold soup, Lucy addressed him again. "So what exactly were you doing in that village for seven years, if you weren't with Era anymore?"

He reached for Gray's abandoned food and started in on it as well. "I took some independent mage jobs, but mostly I just drank all my savings away." The advantage of never taking vacation days? Cashing them in when he quit.

"Seven years' worth of drinking?" Lucy asked, incredulous.

Doranbolt shrugged. "I thought I had watched everyone die."

Lucy's smile faltered. She could sympathize, perhaps too well. Future Lucy would likely haunt her for the rest of her life. In light of what Doranbolt had believed he'd witnessed, she really shouldn't be surprised that he had resorted to a crutch like alcohol.

He continued, "Thanks to that, I bet I could give Cana a run for her money, but Lahar ordered me to get sober if I was going to be working at the Council again. He got me into a program, too. I think I'm doing pretty good with it. Today is really trying my self-control, though."

The Celestial Mage propped up her elbow on the table and leaned her head in her hand. "Lahar sounds like a really good friend."

"The best," Doranbolt replied. "Don't tell him I said it, though. He's self-righteous enough as it is. Personally, I think that stick up his ass was permanently welded there when he was a kid."

"You know, I'm having a difficult time picturing Lahar as a child."

Doranbolt grimaced. "I wish I could forget."

She seemed surprised by this. "You two are childhood friends?"

"Sort of," he replied. "We lived next door to each other, but we never really got along. I thought he was a stuck up jerk, and he thought I was, and I quote, 'an undisciplined, imbecilic fool of a miscreant.'" Doranbolt mimicked Lahar's voice and tone, pushing invisible glasses further up his nose. The impression was so perfect it was scary.

Restraining giggles, Lucy had to ask, "Did you understand any of those words?"

He shook his head. "Not really," he admitted. "I did pick up on the fact that he was calling me stupid, though, from his tone. So I made it my mission to render his life a living hell. Truth be told, it wasn't that hard. He always got so upset every time I broke a rule… or someone's window." Then Doranbolt added, "His window  _may_  have fallen victim more often than the others'... to be fair."

Lucy had no trouble imagining that.

"When we both joined the Rune Knights we stuck together since we didn't know anyone else. And… I don't know. We were older, then. I guess, after we got to know each other and worked together we found we had more in common than not." Finished eating, he neatly stacked the bowls.

"I'm bringing more broth upstairs later, if you want to help," Lucy offered. A teasing smile alighted upon her face. "It's a good excuse to see Wendy."

It was his turn to laugh at her. "You're just trying to get me to do all the heavy lifting."

"Of course not!" she protested. "I'm conscripting Gray, as well."

A voice behind Lucy spoke up, "That's news to me."

The young woman whipped around. "Gray!" she exclaimed in happiness at seeing him completely fine.

He gave her an odd look, and then set down the stacked trays he'd carried in with him; five bowls of steaming broth on the topmost tray. At some point since he'd left, Gray had divested himself of the confines of his shirt. "Hey Mest," he greeted. "I would ask how you've been, but you look like you've been fighting dragons." Gray snickered at Doranbolt's flabbergasted face.

Doranbolt sighed. "My name is Doranbolt."

Gray ignored the other man's assertion. "Oh yeah, Mest. There are a couple of Rune Knights making a scene in the common area, and Mira's about done tolerating it. Can you go do something about them really quick? I think Mira's about to go Archdemon Halphas on them."

Lucy and Gray both shuddered. Although neither had ever experienced that particular Take Over themselves, they'd both heard enough about it from Elfman and Mary Hughes to be very, very afraid.

The Council Mage glanced between them. "Is that better or worse than Satan Soul?"

"Worse," they chorused.

He blanched as it occurred to him that he might have to scrape his subordinates off the wall with a spatula after Mirajane was done with them. There would undoubtedly be massive amounts of paperwork involved. "I better go save them from themselves." With that said, he disappeared into thin air.

Gray eyed the place where he'd vanished. "You know, I'm beginning to wonder if he went easy on me and Loke on Tenrou Island."

"Did you need to talk to me alone about something, Gray?" Lucy asked, smiling at him.

He sheepishly scratched the side of his face. "Kinda." Clearing his throat, Gray explained, "I wanted to talk to you about Rogue, and I thought it was none of Mest's business."

Lucy stiffened, and crossed her arms over her chest in a protective gesture. "Okay."

Noticing her defensive posture, Gray sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lucy, you don't have to go back up there if you don't want to. I can bring the broth up if it's too much."

She shook her head violently. "No, Gray. I can't go through my life ignoring the guy just because he reminds me of someone." Gray thought that it was significantly more than a simple reminder, but Lucy wasn't finished yet. "I need to get used to being around him, and I thought I had made that clear before. I-I h-have…" She swallowed her fear and set her jaw in the determined way Gray knew so well. "I have a bad habit of running away from my problems. I need to face this one head on."

"Alright, alright." Gray threw up his hands in defeat. "Thought I would at least try. Seriously, though, there is something I need to say about this." At her nod, he continued, "I think you're really brave for trying to get along with Rogue, and I wanted to tell you that I support your decision."

Tears filled her eyes at the kind words. "Thank you, Gray. It means a lot."

"No problem, Lucy. He honestly seems like a decent person – for a member of Sabertooth, anyway. Sting, too. I was at the courtyard when they were still setting things up and they did an amazing job. I heard  _you_  were the one who placed Sting in charge?" Gray found that extremely amusing.

Lucy snorted at the report. "Sting had better have done a good job. I would've Lucy Kicked him all the way to Clover if he hadn't."

"It wasn't just Sting, though," Gray went on to say. "Rogue was right there along with Sting, and doing most of the physical work. Actually, everyone was working together. It didn't seem to matter what guild anyone was from, or if they were Rune Knights or Royal Army. There are no words to describe it, Lucy. I've never seen anything like it before."

Smiling wide, Lucy unfolded her arms at last. "Really? That's sounds incredible, Gray! Even when we teamed up against the Oracion Seis, the guilds weren't very coordinated."

"It was really, really cool. I wish you could've seen it." His smile faltered. "I do have to ask, though, Lucy… what exactly happened to Future Rogue? Natsu said something about misplacing a wheelbarrow, whatever the hell that means." This had been before Gray was even aware that the culprit behind the dragon invasion was Future Rogue, so the Ice Mage had shrugged it off as more of Natsu's weirdness. Now that he knew more, the comment seemed to warrant further explanation.

Colour drained from Lucy's face. "He escaped," she whispered, bowing her head. "He went back through the gate, and we couldn't stop him." She froze, nerves tingling as understanding rushed through her in an icy wave. "Gray." Reaching out and grabbing his arm, she looked at him with horror-stricken eyes. "He went back through the gate."

The Ice-Make Mage frowned at her. "I'm not following you, Luce." He placed one of his own hands atop hers on his arm. "Start from the beginning."

"He… the gate… it… time…" Articulation became difficult, as she'd stopped breathing. Pausing, she inhaled deeply. Her lungs full of air, she tried once more, "He went back through time again.  _But we're still here._  Nothing has changed since he left. I don't know much about how time works, but I think we've gotten something very basic, very wrong here."

Gray contemplated it for a moment before giving it up as a bad job. "I don't know, either. Is there someone we can ask about this? Someone who might know more about what's really going on?"

She nodded. "A couple of people. My spirit, Crux, might know something – he's the one who told me most of what I know about the Eclipse Gate. The creator is another."

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere." Gray knew that Lucy always felt better with a plan. "So, who made the Gate?"

"Princess Hisui."

He stared at her for a long moment, not entirely comprehending the implications of that. "The princess?"

"Yeah."

"You have got to be kidding me…" Gray shook his head. "I can see if I can't get her to talk to us. You want me to bring her here?"

Lucy gulped. "If you could, can you also bring Ultear? As an Arc of Time user, she should know quite a bit, too."

Averting his gaze, Gray bit his lip. "I haven't seen her," he confided, worry seeping into his voice. "I don't know if she's… But I'll try to find her." Standing up, he turned as he heard the door open again.

Beside him, Lucy flinched at the noise.

Gray didn't think that was a good sign.

Doranbolt strode into the room, oblivious to the tension present within. "I was almost too late to save the poor sods." Coming abruptly to a halt, he inspected the two Fairy Tail Mages. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah," Gray replied. "Can you help Lucy with getting these upstairs? There's a dumbwaiter over there." He jerked his thumb to a panel in the wall. "It opens up in the hallway. Sorry, but I have to go set up a meeting with royalty." Cursing under his breath, he headed for the back door. "How in the world am I going to convince her?" he muttered as he exited the building and stepped into the sunshine.

The Direct Line Mage shifted, uncomfortable. "I clearly missed something important."

"I think we're misunderstanding something about how the Eclipse Gate functions," Lucy informed him, seeing no reason to keep him out of the loop. "Princess Hisui masterminded the project, so we're going to ask her how it works."

He nodded, accepting the sparse explanation for now. "I see. Let me help you with this, and I'll see what I can do to get as many higher ups in that meeting as possible. I'm thinking that the Guild Masters and Dragon Slayers should know what they were fighting for. Not to mention the civilian mayor and Lahar." Doranbolt rolled his eyes. "Short of erasing his memories, I don't think we can  _avoid_  keeping him apprised of the situation." He had considered doing exactly that, but the dragons were still around. There would have been no point.

Fiore was going to face some changes, one way or another.

"Okay," Lucy agreed. "This room is pretty big, so we could hold it here and have Freed set up runes against eavesdropping." Assuming Freed was still alive, that is.

No, she couldn't afford to think like that. Raising her hands, she slapped her cheeks. The action startled Doranbolt. Now she felt invigorated. Rising from the bench, she smiled at her friend. "Let's get moving, shall we?"

* * *

_**Oh, You Gotta Live Every Single Day!** _   
_**Like It's The Only One** _   
_**What If Tomorrow Never Comes?** _   
_**Don't Let It Slip Away!** _   
_**Could Be Our Only One** _   
_**You Know It's Only Just Begun** _

_**-Nickelback "Never Gonna Be Alone"** _

* * *

True to his word, Cobra steadfastly refused to acknowledge the other two male Dragon Slayers in the room after his proclamation. Instead, he focused his mental attention outside the Honey Bone Inn, while absently petting Wendy's head. Purring and growling in her sleep, the little dragon girl was easy to handle in her magically induced exhaustion.

Closing his eyes, he listened for Kinana. Although he kept an ear out for Fairy Tail mages, as well. The three females he was fond of would like to know about their guild mates' conditions.

Locating the purple haired barmaid near the courtyard with the civilian evacuees in tow, he brushed his consciousness against hers.  _'I am at the Honey Bone Inn along with Wendy, Lucy, Gray, and Mirajane,'_  he informed her.  _'Oh, and the pedophile,'_  he added, hearing the man's thoughts.

' _P-p-pedophile? What? Come again?'_  she asked, bewildered.

' _Never mind. Just come,'_ he instructed, getting impatient.

' _I will be there shortly,'_  Kinana promised.

Pulling back his awareness to the inn, Cobra caught the whisper of Lucy's inner lamentation. He made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat. It confounded him that his Twerp couldn't reserve even a fraction of the kindness and forgiveness she displayed to others for herself.

Her song was wavering. The song her soul sang to the world, just as every soul did. Cobra could hear the notes of music that arose from people's souls just as he would a muffled conversation. Although the melodies lay beneath the chatter of their minds, Cobra could hear Lucy and Kinana's soul songs in particular very well indeed. Lucy's soul was the strangest one Cobra had ever heard, to be honest. It harmonized to some degree with every other soul song in was within close proximity to – including that of Rogue. A fact that made Cobra even warier of the Dragon Slayer.

But at this moment, the discordant tones emanating from Lucy's soul were violent. It fell to Cobra to reassure Lucy. Again. Oddly, he wasn't too miffed about it. No, scratch that – being forced to praise Mest did rankle. He disliked the Council Mage with… great enthusiasm. Cobra had not forgotten the mental threat to Kinana, after all. And Cobra liked to hold grudges.

As the Celestial Mage's inner turmoil calmed, the Poison Dragon Slayer surprised himself, however.

' _Envious of her family, am I?'_ he wondered.

Then something buried far beneath the surface of Doranbolt's soul caught his interest. Listening closer, a cruel smile twisted Cobra's mouth.

' _Is that so, little Council Mage?'_  The monster within urged Cobra to laugh at the pathetic man a floor below.  _'Or should I say, little Fairy Tail Mage?'_  Cobra's shoulders shook with the sheer force of restraining his maniacal mirth at his new discovery.  _'Oh this is just… precious. I wonder whose place you stole, Doronbolt. Whose life did you assume for your little charade?'_

Stirring slightly, the bluenette child beside him made a small noise of awakening.

A tortured strain of music, emitted from the depths of a soul, suddenly found its way to Cobra's ears and caused him to freeze in alarm. Recognizing the familiar refrain, twisted though it was with fresh pain and fear, Cobra listened intently to Lucy's soul. The sounds, normally a pleasant tone to the malicious Dragon Slayer, were unnatural coming from his new friend.

Something was direly wrong.

Cobra's suspicion was only confirmed the longer he eavesdropped. He found himself agreeing with Lucy's assessment – there was something missing from their information. The Dragon Slayer couldn't help but wonder if the thing that attacked him was connected to this.

Wendy groaned, and he left off his observation once more.

Blinking sleepily, the tiny Dragon Slayer glanced around. Distress clouded her soul when she didn't immediately spot Lucy.

A weight pressed against her skull, and she looked up to see Cobra with his hand on her head. "Lucy is getting you some food. She'll be back momentarily."

Relief shone in Wendy's eyes, and echoed in her soul's song. "Thank you," she whispered.

A ding resounded in the hallway. A noise all the Dragon Slayers heard easily, for their attention swiveled to the door.

When it opened, Lucy appeared in the doorway. As she stepped over the threshold with Doranbolt in tow with the bowls of broth, Cobra greeted them with, "Twerp! I suggest you step away from the Pedophile."

Everyone froze.

"Oh, great," Doranbolt muttered. " _This_ asshole. Thanks to you calling me that last time, I had to have an extremely awkward meeting with my superiors explaining that I am not, in fact, a pedophile."

That had,  _in fact_ , been Cobra's objective with the epithet. "Did you miss me?" Cobra grinned toothily at the Council Mage.

He smiled tightly at the criminal. "No, but I have a pair of magic-limiting restraints that did." Doranbolt handed the trays and broth over to the Fairy Tail Mage. "Lucy, can you hold these for a moment?"

"Oh, come on! At least let me eat first!"

Lucy shook her head in exasperation. If Cobra had really meant the pedophile comment, he would have done something about it by now. That was just the type of person he was.

It seemed that only Lucy, Wendy, and Kinana were allowed to meet and befriend Erik. Everyone else was doomed to deal with Cobra.

The criminal, catching her thoughts, shot her a grin full of fangs.

However, only Lucy was privy to the true nature of Cobra's passive aggressive barbs. Sting and Rogue, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea that Cobra was just calling Doranbolt a pedophile because he, quite frankly, found the man's suffering entertaining.

Reaching for his cuffs, Doranbolt swore under his breath at finding them missing. " _Calvin_ ," he muttered, venom lacing the name and transforming it into a curse word most foul.

However, that was the last thing he was able to say.

Wendy scrambled to her feet to stand on the bed the instant she recognized her former partner.

Then she  _launched_ herself from the mattress at the hapless mage. Tackling him to the ground, she cried out, "Mest!"

A startled yelp escaped the Direct Line Mage's lips as a sobbing girl knocked him down. Sitting down, he stared in shock at the young Dragon Slayer clinging to him.

Instead of berating him for not coming sooner, or accusing him of abandoning her like he had expected, Wendy just buried her face into his shirt. Tears flowed from her eyes in a deluge, and she trembled like a leaf.

With a shaky sob, she managed to once more cry out, "Mest!" A low keen started up somewhere in the back of her throat and rose, warbling from her mouth. "I missed you so much!"

Saltwater began to leak from the older man's eyes. His arms rose and he encircled his partner with them. "I missed you too, Wendy!" Petting her hair while she shuddered and sobbed, his large frame almost engulfed hers entirely. "I'm here," he whispered into her cobalt locks. "I'm not leaving you ever again. I promise."

* * *

**_You're Never Gonna Be Alone_ **   
**_From This Moment On_ **   
**_If You Ever Feel Like Letting Go_ **   
**_I Won't Let You Fall_ **   
**_We're Gonna Take The World On_ **   
**_I'll Hold You 'Til The Hurt Is Gone_ **

**_-Nickelback "Never Gonna Be Alone"_ **

* * *

While Doranbolt and Wendy just held each other, Lucy set the trays down on the nightstand. They were heavy, and she couldn't hold them forever.

Lucy also couldn't wait for Doranbolt to pass out the food, either.

Which entailed facing Rogue.

She'd reassured Gray she was strong enough for this. She  _would_  do this.

Even if just the mere thought of it terrified her, her rising nausea clogging her throat.

…It wasn't truly running away if she passed out Sting's bowl first, though. Right?

Sting gratefully accepted the sustenance from the Celestial Mage. However, he cast a wary glance at Doranbolt as he did so. "Blondie?" he asked softly. "Are you sure about… letting Wendy-san be… around him?"

The Fairy Tail Mage stared at the confused Dragon Slayer for a moment. Her face lit up with understanding when she figured out what Sting was talking about. "Oh! Oh. Doranbolt isn't a pedophile."

This only served to further befuddle Sting, and Rogue as well.

"He's… Look. Doranbolt isn't a pedophile, and I know this because Cobra would have done something about it by now if he was. Regardless of his own physical situation."

Cobra gave the Light Dragon Slayer a shrug when he threw a disbelieving glance his way. "Lines you don't cross," was all the criminal would say by way of explanation.

The answer seemed to satisfy both of the Sabertooth Mages, comprehension settling in their expressions. Although, Lucy was now unsure as to exactly what had transpired between the three men in that single statement to clear up the issue.

Sabertooth's new Guild Master did throw one last curious glance at Cobra, however. "Why call him that if he isn't, then?" he wondered aloud.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Because Cobra's an asshole."

"Damn straight," the Poison Dragon Slayer interjected.

As if he hadn't spoken, Lucy continued, "In fact, he's even worse than Laxus and Gajeel. I'm pretty certain that Gajeel is just a tsundere, and I'm positive that Laxus is just… extremely socially inept. Cobra is an asshole  _for the sake of being an asshole_."

This affirmation of his character seemed to please Cobra inordinately.

Sting chuckled. It was interesting to see the difference in how the older Dragon Slayer acted around Lucy as to when she was absent. "Alright, then." He hesitated, and then added, "Hey, Blondie? Can I talk to you about something later?"

Curious, Lucy tilted her head to the side slightly. "What about? And why not here?"

Flinching, Sting replied, "It's just… not here. Okay?"

Something within his pleading, cerulean eyes struck a chord inside of Lucy. She found herself nodding along to his request, unable to refuse. Whatever he wanted to discuss must be deeply personal, she decided. Forcing him to confront the issue at that moment would be detrimental all around.

With that, Lucy could procrastinate no more. If she was going to prove to herself that she could do this, now was the time. It was… strange. Before, although she had been afraid, Lucy had been able to look Rogue in the eye. Why had such a simple thing suddenly become an insurmountable task?

Rogue seemed to understand, though.

Compelling her body to remain calm and still, Lucy then handed Rogue his broth. He nodded at her in gratitude. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You… you don't have to force yourself."

The sorrow laced within the Shadow Dragon Slayer's words provided Lucy with the courage she lacked. Raising her gaze, she met his startled, crimson one. "You haven't done anything wrong," she stated, her resolve solidifying. She left it at that, turning away from the shocked man.

Cobra silently radiated waves of support and comfort at her throughout the endeavor. Which she was immensely grateful for.

Task completed, she sat on the edge of the bed next to Cobra. Together, they observed the reunion before them. Neither Wendy nor Doranbolt appeared to remember that they had an audience, and the pair were now babbling softly to each other about how much they each missed their partner.

Lucy turned to Cobra. "You really shouldn't call him a pedophile if he isn't, you know. Don't make me lecture you on what is and what isn't an appropriate nickname. Or I might have to start calling you by the O-word again."

The Poison Dragon Slayer snorted at the idle threat. "Oh he may not be a pedophile… His thoughts are completely platonic, in fact. But we should still worry. About  _her_."

A light laugh escaped the confines of Lucy's chest. "Does honorary, big brother Cobra disapprove of his little sister's crush?"

"YES."

So much enmity was crammed into the single word, it was surprising that Doranbolt hadn't combusted from Cobra's sheer ire.

The thought of Cobra as an overprotective older sibling was one that struck something deep within Lucy. She stared at the Dragon Slayer for a moment, whose gaze was sharply trained on the pair in front of them.

Lucy had lost what family, blood family, she had while trapped on Tenrou Island. As an only child, she had once fantasized about having siblings but the wish had never come to pass. Loneliness at the thought seized her. Fairy Tail was her family, it was true. But it couldn't completely erase the ache that accompanied the loss of her first one.

Wendy was extremely lucky, Lucy thought, to have basically all the Dragon Slayers for an extended family. The Dragon Slayers of her guild had already adopted Wendy into their fold, Laxus and Gajeel taking special interest in making sure the bluenette was okay.

Then it struck her. Why couldn't she have the same?

She glanced at Cobra, and wondered if beyond his newfound affection for Wendy, if he'd ever had a family before.

"I don't remember them well," he suddenly spoke, showing that he was, in fact, still listening to her. "What I do remember isn't pleasant. The Oracion Seis came close, once. Now I have Wendy." With a derisive sneer, he added, "And the rest of the Dragon Slayers as well, I suppose."

"Oh." Crestfallen, she glanced at her hands gathered in her lap.

A nudge, not particularly gentle, returned her attention to Cobra. "Yeah?"

He stared at her with his single, piercing indigo eye for a long moment. "The Dragon Slayers are only family through similar heritage." Cobra decided to keep the shared Soul Links and familial markings with the Celestial Mage a secret from her for now. It would be too much for her to process right now. "My true family consists of Kinana, Wendy… and you, Lucy."

Lucy bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears. Not trusting her voice, she mentally asked him a question very dear to her.

' _Erik. Is it alright if I… Could I give you an official family? With a surname, and everything?'_

Stunned, Cobra gaped at Lucy. "Are you asking me… to become a Heartfilia?" he asked, wonderment creeping into his voice. At her nod, he shakily replied, "I would like that, Lucy." Hesitating for only a second, he said aloud, no longer caring that others would hear the name or that they might misconstrue the conversation, "Erik Heartfilia. I like the sound of it."

A brilliant smile lit up Lucy's face. "Then that's what I'll do."

She felt a tug on her arm, then. Glancing down, Lucy's chocolate orbs met with Wendy's expectant, hazel ones. Somehow, without hearing the full conversation, Wendy had understood what had just transpired. Unable to articulate her request, Wendy tugged once more at the woman she already considered an older sister.

Comprehension dawned in Lucy. "Would you like to join our family, Wendy? Would you like to be our little sister officially?"

Wendy threw herself at Lucy with a strangled affirmative.

Laughing, Lucy held onto her new family with everything she had, while Cobra affectionately ruffled Wendy's hair.

In their own world the three ignored the bewildered stares of the others in the room.

* * *

_**I'm Gonna Be There Always  
I Won't Be Missing One More Day** _

_**-Nickelback "Never Gonna Be Alone"** _


	9. Fire Within

_**Pack Me Up And Keep Me Hidden Somewhere** _   
_**That You Can Find Me** _   
_**On This Train To Paris Going Nowhere** _   
_**Draw The Bridge Behind Me** _

_**-Chris Brown feat Ariana Grande "Don't Be Gone Too Long"** _

* * *

Hastily flinging the wheelbarrow upon Lucy's command, Natsu screeched out an, "Aye!" before he booked it for all he was worth in the direction of Mother Glare and Atlas Flame. Not chancing a single glance backward, he bolted over the wreckage and debris to the far side of the courtyard. "Uncle!" Natsu shouted, sweat (that had nothing to do with his current bout of exercise) beading on his brow. "We gotta go! Lucy's pissed!" Usually she only reacted like this when he walked in on her naked (which meant she might start throwing things at his face and he was  _not_  taking that chance).

Instead of questioning his long-time friend's son, Atlas Flame merely nodded at the Dragon Slayer. "Angry females are terrifying no matter their species," he rumbled thoughtfully, Natsu leaping onto his back.

The Fire Dragon Slayer suspected there was a really good story behind that statement but for all he knew Lucy was still coming after him so they needed to vacate the premises pronto. "Wait until you meet all the ones in my guild!" he informed the dragon, a mischievous grin plastered to his face. "Never get between Erza and her cake, and don't even get me started about staying on Mirajane's good side. Cana will throw an entire barrel at you, and Laki has torture devices in her rooms. …Don't ask me how I know that. Lisanna doesn't get angry. But her disappointment is the  _worst_. I'll introduce you to them later!"

"I'll take that as a promise!" Atlas Flame roared, pushing off the ground. Flames flickered in his wake, and he rose into the sky. "Mother Glare - I know we have our differences. But what say you? Shall we lend our assistance to end this farce of a battle?"

A snort of amusement came from the adamantine dragon below. In only mere moments, the creature's hefty bulk was lifting into the air beside them. "Do not mistake my actions for affection towards humankind," he warned the pair. "I take great offense to being controlled is all. I will attempt to calm our kindred out of spite for what that human did to us. No other reason."

Atlas Flame released a booming laugh, accompanied by a gout of hellfire, streaking through the sky. "Keep telling yourself that, and you'll find yourself fighting on the humans' side of this war, yet!"

"Not... likely," Mother Glare informed him dryly, his voice sonorous. "Leave me out of whatever fool plan is going on inside that charcoal filled skull of yours."

"Why, what are you going to do?" Atlas Flame taunted in return. "Release some of your tiny monsters on me? Oooh,  _scary!_  I just might fall out of the sky! Oh wait, didn't  _you_ already do that?"

Mother Glare released a wordless roar of anger at the Hellfire Dragon, to which Atlas Flame responded in kind.

 _'This argument sounds... vaguely familiar to me for some reason,'_ Natsu mused.

The dragons circled high above the courtyard, the new day's light washing over Mother Glare's stony hide in flowing ribbons and bands of gold. Atlas Flame's blazes, too, were bolstered by the radiance of the morning sun. With the world's shadow no longer haunting the moon, dawn's first rays swept over the ruined city's face. Transforming it into a brighter place, though it revealed the true extent of the devastation wrought that long night. Natsu couldn't help but wonder if maybe in the new light there would be room for new hope as well; a stronger world to rise from the crumbling remains of the old.

Or perhaps not.

Onyx eyes trained on the softly illuminated courtyard, Natsu surveyed the area below them. Spotting Lucy and her group, he stared in surprise at the sight of Rogue pinning his future counterpart to the monstrous structure from which the dragons had emerged.

Oh no. That was not good. That could not possibly be good.

Rogue trembled. Even from this distance, Natsu could smell the Shadow Dragon Slayer's tears, and with his keen eyesight, he saw how he shook. "No." The words barely reached Natsu's ears, but reach they did. "You're lying."

"I wish I was."

The rest of the conversation was drowned in a sudden gust of wind that tore at Natsu, threatening to send him plummeting to the ground.

"Hold on tight, Son of Igneel!" Atlas Flame warned. In the face of the sudden gale, his flames flattened, pulling against his skeletal frame. Serpentine, they trailed far past his body.

"Hold on to  _what?!_ " Natsu yelled, the dragon reorienting his position with a tilt of his wing and swinging his now elongated tail. The draft's force lessened as Atlas Flame righted himself once more.

Rogue's despairing scream pierced the air, and Natsu's ear. "No!"

Natsu hurriedly returned his gaze to the broken courtyard. With horror, he witnessed Future Rogue vanish into his shadow form and slip through the gate.

Piteous wailing soon followed, carried upward on the breeze to where Natsu watched.

Oh this. This was bad. This was very bad. He should not have done this. He shouldn't have left them. This was his fault.

Future Lucy's face drifted before his inner eye, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her final words wrapped around his soul, and crimson blood splattered and stained the memory _. "Protect the future."_

He'd failed her. His promise. It was as broken as the body that still lay within the palace's walls, abandoned there by the fleeing mages.

Warm, salty water trailed down his face, dripping onto Atlas Flame's back. Not even the giant Hellfire Dragon's eternal inferno could evaporate Natsu's tears and his misery.

"Are you crying, son of my old friend?" inquired the dragon.

 _"Natsu!"_  Lucy's voice resounded in his head.  _"Quit running around like a chicken with its head cut off and help your nakama with their fights!"_

Natsu blinked, and looked at his own best friend far below. She was struggling to carry Sting, along with a redheaded woman whose scent he recognized from Raven Tail. Once adversaries, now she, Lucy, and Sting were working together to reach the Shadow Dragon Slayer who was throwing himself against the Eclipse Gate in a desperate bid to follow his counterpart.

Actually... now that Natsu thought about it… the redhead smelled a bit like...

He shook himself, and swiped at his eyes. "I'll be fine, Uncle."

That's right. He still had a job to do. There were people below, still fighting for their lives. Their futures. He could protect those still. Natsu hadn't failed his promise. Glancing down at his partner, he gave her a nod. She wasn't alone. Sting, Flare, and even Rogue were right there beside her. Lucy was strong, and she was never fiercer than when she had friends to protect. She would be alright. The Fire Dragon Slayer would safeguard the rest in her stead. His family needed him. They needed the two dragons with whom he soared into the sky.

"Hmph," snorted Mother Glare, his massive head inclined towards the ground. "I should have obliterated that upstart the second the spell was broken. A pity I cannot crush him now." A pale, spherical eye swiveled to regard Natsu in direct challenge to the pink-haired human's actions with the wheelbarrow.

Natsu had to wonder though. Would killing Future Rogue outright have done any good? Could he have slain the White-Shadow Dragon Slayer, just as Future Lucy had been murdered? Somehow, he doubted it. Much less in front of Rogue. Natsu couldn't inflict that kind of horror upon someone intentionally – he didn't want Lucy to see him as someone capable of the same things as Future Rogue. Besides... he just couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was something afoot that he was missing some of the pieces to. On the cusp of understanding, much like when a sneeze got stuck halfway to expulsion.

Mother Glare grew tired of waiting for a response from the sudden pensive human. "We've got another problem to concern ourselves with, Atlas Flame. I scented Necrodas below, while we fought. Under the mind control spell, there wasn't anything I could do about it at the time."

"Neuro-blast?" questioned Natsu, putting aside his thoughts for now. "What's that?"

"No, human. Necrodas. Shouldn't you know of him already, as Dragon Kin?"

"Who, Nerd-crows?" Natsu tried the name again. He searched his memory. He knew seven dragons had come through the gate, but he had no idea which one Nerf-Herder would be or which of the Dragon Slayers fought him. Could it have been the dark dragon he saw Gajeel fighting at one point? That one kind of looked like a Neko-Dog. "Nope, never heard of him. Why, is Ninny-Crocs someone important?"

Atlas Flame shook his fiery skull at Natsu's multiple mispronunciations of the dragon's name. "Necrodas. He's a dragon and one you should avoid if at all possible. He may be on the coexistence side of the war, but that doesn't mean he's trustworthy in the least. His hatred for humans is legendary – how have you never encountered him, Son of Igneel?"

This only perplexed Natsu further. "Dad never mentioned him. But he's on the human's side? If he hates humans, then why is he fighting for coexistence? Seems counterproductive if you ask me."

"Many dragons have fought on both sides without supporting either cause," Mother Glare growled.

"That's kind of stupid. Why would you fight for something you don't believe in?" Natsu thought about it for a moment. "Wait, unless it's like… if one of my guild mates got into trouble, and the rest of the guild would do their best to bail them out? Kinda like how we stopped Phantom Lord from taking Lucy away?"

A rumble passed through Atlas Flame's skeletal body. "I don't know of the incident you are referring to. But if by which you mean kin protects kin, even if they are making a stupid decision, then yes."

"Or if it's your  _king_ ," grumbled Mother Glare, snideness dripping from his tone.

"That's low," Atlas Flame candidly replied. After a moment, he added, "But valid."

"For us, Lucy wasn't the one making stupid choices that time." Then Natsu tacked on, "Gray's done that before, though. I ended up stuck inside a mecha-dragon because of that. It was actually pretty cool for a while, but I'm glad Gajeel and Lucy got me out of there in the end." He purposefully neglected to mention that the whole thing was his own fault for forgetting a promise he made in the first place (then again, in his defense – he'd thought he'd dreamt the whole incident that literally set it in motion).

Thinking about how he'd forgotten that promise, and failed his latest one, set his stomach to churning, as if he was on transportation.

Atlas Flame's entire body shook and rippled with restrained laughter. "I'll have to hear that story sometime."

The Dragon Slayer let out a queasy laugh. "Yeah; I'll tell you all about my guild's adventures sometime. But… I have a question for you two."

"Then speak it!" Mother Glare swung his head from side to side in exasperation. "Before the war ends, preferably!"

Natsu frowned. "That's kind of it, actually. You guys keep talking as if the dragon war is still going on."

"It's not?" Atlas Flame replied, shock tinging his graveled voice. "I would have thought... with that Dragon Slayer and his spell..."

"Uh… no. It's…" Trailing off, Natsu internally debated how to tell the dragons this. His mental argument didn't last very long, as he decided to just get it out rather than agonize over something he couldn't change and it was something they needed to know anyway. "The war is over. It's  _been_  over. For like… four hundred years, I think."

The dragons exchanged a surprised look. "That long? We've been transported that far ahead in time?" wondered the adamantine dragon. "We felt the time distortion… but I did not think it was that great a distance. Who won, then?"

Confusion filled Natsu's head, like steam building up and unable to be released. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked.

"No. Tell us. Is this world one where humans and dragons coexist, or are dragons still the overlords here?"

The pinkette didn't reply for a long moment. "Well… Neither side won," he eventually confessed.

Mother Glare hissed at that answer, his yellow eyes burning with frustration. "What do you mean,  _neither?!_ "

A frustrated sigh escaped Natsu. "I mean…" Cold realization settled upon him, as he came to understand the truth about what he was about to tell the dragons. The uneasy weight in his stomach only worsened. "...There are no more dragons,"Natsu informed them, hating what he was telling them.

That their friends were gone. Their families. That they themselves were long dead.

Stunned, Atlas Flame wondered, "How? How is that possible? Were you not raised by Igneel? You don't seem to be four hundred years old, my boy."

"Well… aside from Igneel, Metalicana, and Grandeeny, there are no more dragons," Natsu amended. As far as he was concerned, Acnologia didn't count as a full dragon now that he knew the story behind that monster's existence. "We were told by Zirconis' ghost what happened. He said that a Dragon Slayer killed them all – that he turned against the dragons fighting for coexistence, too." The murderer of thousands of dragons, good and evil alike. It was one thing to kill your enemy - the one trying to end you. It was quite another to turn on your friends, your teachers, your comrades. But even with that new knowledge, Natsu refused to believe that his adoptive father, along with Gajeel's father and Wendy's mother, weren't still out there somewhere - just waiting to be found. They had survived long enough to raise them after all, hadn't they?

"Ha!" Mother Glare scoffed. "Your side's fool plan backfired on us all, just as we warned, Atlas Flame!"

"Who?" growled the Hellfire Dragon, ignoring Mother Glare. The omnipresent strands of fire that comprised his form flared brightly with outrage. "Who betrayed us?!"

Natsu hesitated. "I'm not sure I should tell you?" he ventured. "Won't that cause like… a temporal rift or something? A paradox? Or… I dunno! This ain't my strong suit. Complicated magical theory stuff is more Lucy and Levy's thing."

"Tell us, human!" Mother Glare roared in rage, the very air shaking with the force of the sound. " _Who killed us?!_ "

"Fine, fine!" the Dragon Slayer agreed. It wasn't his problem to deal with. And... and wouldn't  _he_  want to know in the same situation? To give them a good ass whooping, if nothing else. "His name was Acnologia. According to Zirconis, he killed so many dragons that he became one, and he then crowned himself King."

"Acnologia?" Befuddled, Atlas Flame swiveled his head to regard Natsu. "Are you certain?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." Hardness befell the pink haired man's features. "Fairy Tail was nearly wiped out by him seven years ago. Trust me, he's a strong bastard." Suspicion wormed its way onto his face. "Why do you sound so surprised, though?"

The great beasts were silent for a moment, the wind and their wingbeats filling Natsu's entire world. Atlas Flame finally spoke after the long pause, his words the low rumble of a stirring volcano.

"Because… he's a Sky Dragon Slayer. His specialty is healing. Not fighting."

* * *

_**See A Ball Of Fire Out In Space,  
Zooming Up Behind Me** _

_**-Chris Brown feat Ariana Grande "Don't Be Gone Too Long"** _

* * *

Flare glanced around at the bustling, makeshift command center, cradling an exhausted rusty-red Exceed within her arms. The anthropomorphic cat's tail swished while he slept, his face pressed into the female mage's soft chest. She didn't mind Lector's sleeping position; the Exceed had survived just as long a night as she and deserved his rest. Poor thing had worn himself out crying in relief when she had delivered Sting's message to him hours prior.

The other Exceed – Frosch – had taken flight without further prompting, leaving only a streak of light in her wake. Despite his clear desire to return to his partner post haste like his companion, Lector had done just as Sting and Lucy had wanted – he'd remained behind to serve as a lookout for the civilians. Flare had sympathized – she, too, had wished to return below.

So Flare held him now while he got some well-earned rest, and the citizens they'd brought back to their city rushed to assist with the relief efforts. The medical tents in particular were a flurry of activity as the civilian doctors lent their much needed aid and expertise to the tired and wounded mages.

The Hair Mage shifted nervously, maneuvering herself carefully in order to avoid bumping into others. People flowed around her like water, making the task difficult. But she didn't want the feline resting in her arms to be jostled unnecessarily.

Where was Blondie? The redhead didn't see her new friend anywhere. Wasn't she supposed to be here? Where was she? Had something happened to her? Flare knew she shouldn't have left her alone! Her crimson orbs narrowed. She should have known better than to trust that other blond with her friend. Speaking of, she didn't see him, either. Or the dark haired man responsible for all of this, albeit indirectly.

Sweat began to bead on her forehead, sliding down her face and her neck. The rising sun beat down upon her, and the world felt like a scorching inferno had descended upon it. Heat had never bothered Flare before – the Eternal Flame's gift prevented her from feeling both its presence and absence for the most part. But now it raged against her senses, fear at once both icy and hot traveling through her body.

Where was Blondie? Nothing felt right without her there. She was kind. She was strong. She was everything Flare wanted to see in herself. Where was she?

"Ah!" a man exclaimed, colliding with her. "Why the hell are you just standing there like a moron?!" he shouted at the woman. "Go on, you stupid chick! Isn't there something useful you could be doing? I'm sure  _someone_  can find something for you do rather than just stand in the way!"

Flare's rust coloured eyes narrowed at the man. In a move he was not expecting, she took a step towards him. Dredges of her magic leaked out, her hair lazily writhing in the air. "What was that?" she hissed, advancing further and forcing the man to back up. "You could have gone around. There was plenty of room."

"W-wait," the man mumbled, retreating even further. His face had drained of all colour, and his eyes were wide with fright and recognition. "Y-you're the h-h-hair lady. From Raven Tail!"

"My  _name_  is  _Flare Corona_ ," she told him. "Of  _Sun Village_.  _Not_  Raven Tail."

"Got it!" he squeaked. "Sun Village!"

"You almost woke up my friend." She shifted Lector's weight in her arms, and gave the quivering civilian her most terrifying smile. Contrary to what most thought, she was completely aware of how it made her look. It was just one more tool of intimidation taught to her by Ivan. A weapon. One she had no compunction about bringing to bear upon this moron. "That would be… bad."

"I'm sorry!" At that point, he tripped over a loose piece of rubble and fell down, landing hard on his tailbone.

"Are you really?" the woman hissed, somehow never dropping her deranged grin despite her change in tone.

"Yes!"

Flare judged that the man was about to wet himself in fear. Ceasing her advance, Flare stared down at the man. "I'm looking for my other friend. She's blonde – with a large chest. And she's a Celestial Mage."

He looked confused for a moment. "That Fairy Tail chick you fought? The one that you defeated and Sabertooth beat the shit out of?"

Flare's hair rose higher in anger at his words. "Are you implying that Blondie is  _weak?_ Blondie is  _not_  weak. Blondie is the strongest person I've ever met. She closed that gate, against a tide of  _dragons_. She came so close to defeating me, standing up no matter how many times I knocked her down; whereas  _you_  are cowering in the  _dirt_. Therefore, you will _respect_  her."

"Y-yes ma'am!"

"Now… have you, or have you  _not,_  seen her?"

"N-no! I-I haven't!"

Letting out a grumble of annoyance, Flare turned away. "Then  _you're_  of no  _use_  to  _me_."

As she put distance between the rude man and herself, Flare contemplated just how she was going to find her friend. She felt much less panicked after that confrontation. Her head was much clearer, having worked out some of her tension. Maybe she could try to find one of Blondie's guild members. They might know where she was.

So Flare set off once more, Lector still cradled within the protective confines of her arms. He purred away, unaware of the devastation around the pair.

Flare envied the cat that, just a bit.

A screech of hatred erupted across the sky, startling Flare and the other humans near the gate's vicinity. Thundering wingbeats followed shortly, echoing off the stone rubble. As roars reached her ears, Flare couldn't help the trembling smile that threatened to overtake her face. Joy suffused her heart, her soul now buoyant.

She recognized one of those roars! She knew she'd heard him during the battling!

Lector awoke with a yelp, his claws extended. Accidentally scratching Flare in the process, he frantically looked around for the dragons that had him in a frenzy. "They're attacking again! I must warn everyone… Sting-kun said-!"

The woman hushed the cat softly. "No… it's alright. I know one of them," Flare reassured Lector, with soft words and gentle strokes of his fur. "I know him so well. He gave me my magic – he is on our side."

Confused, Lector reluctantly settled down. "If you say so," he said, jittery still despite her calming ministrations. "What's his name?"

Flare could hardly be bothered with the damage Lector's claws had done to her arms, though blood trickled slowly down her limbs from her mutilated skin. She turned her head towards the sky, her carmine eyes hungry for a glimpse of the dragon she knew to be close by.

"The Eternal Flame," she breathed, when she finally spotted him, high in the sky.

"The Eternal… what?" Lector asked, peering up at his companion's enraptured face. Receiving no response, his own gaze followed hers. He gasped at the sight of a creature bathed in brilliant flames hurtling towards the ground. "What is  _that?!_ " It didn't look like a dragon! That thing was an entity of pure hellfire, an evil denizen of stories and nightmares.

Something small and wet fell upon Lector's head. He blinked, forcing his wide eyes to face the bruised woman cradling him protectively in her bleeding arms. Glimmering water trailed down her face, distant flames reflected in every droplet that plopped off her chin. She was shaking. Her lips were twisted up, and she was holding back her breath, terrified that if she opened her mouth and had air in her lungs, all that would come from her would be a scream.

Lector patted her arm with the pad of his paw. He didn't understand why a monster like that would elicit such a reaction from her, but it was clearly very important to her. "Let's go see him!"

Brow furrowed, Flare turned her regard to the russet Exceed. "Are you sure?"

Against his every instinct, Lector nodded. "I'm the great Sting-kun's partner!" he declared. "I'm not scared of a dragon!"

It didn't take much observation to determine that the cat was lying. He was trembling harder than Flare was, his ears laid flat against his skull.

A small smile appeared on Flare's face. Blondie would have to wait for her a little longer. "Mhmm!" she agreed, her red eyes flickering with inner fire.

It was no longer so hard for Lector to believe that the odd woman did indeed know this dragon.

The pair were suddenly moving, Flare's feet kicking up dust as she darted past stunned onlookers and debris. Weariness had been dispelled from her body; her wounds no longer ached or throbbed with pain. She felt as if she bore wings that carried her forward.

Unbeknownst to the pair, wisps and tendrils of flame curled and sparked along the bottom edges of her worn shoes.

Some distance away, then dragon landed heavily. The ground shook with the impact, loose stones sent clattering all around – though Flare danced across the unsettled surface as if born to do so.

Tilting its head back, the dragon let out a roar, originating deep inside its body. "Zirconis! Where are you hiding, you coward?!"

Pulse waves of heat and sound assaulted Lector's senses. Rippling in waves across his fur, he shivered despite the sweltering heat as they came closer, and underneath his fur, his skin felt scalded. "F-Flare-san!" he called out. "I-I don't think I can go any closer!"

Her footsteps slowed, until Flare stood still. "Is something wrong?"

Sweat beginning to mat his fur, Lector nodded. "It's too hot for me. I think I'm gonna boil… or maybe turn to ashes if I get too near that dragon."

"Hot?" Flare questioned, perplexed.

"Yeah… you don't feel it?" How could that possibly be? Lector felt like he was walking on the sun!

Flare shook her head. "Not really. I feel… warm. Inside. Like I've just had a hot drink."

"Oh. Can you set me down here? I'll watch from that rock… or something." He wasn't quite ready to go search for Sting on his own. Exhaustion made every limb weigh three times as much as normal, and even if he could move freely, Lector didn't want to leave Flare alone with a dragon. The Exceed liked her a lot. Somehow, she reminded him a great deal of his partner.

The crimson haired mage hesitated. Then after a moment, she brightened. Several loose locks lifted from where they lay against Flare's body. Lector soon found himself wrapped up in soft tendrils of hair, and it felt as if the heat had been cut by half.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "I don't feel like I'm cooking anymore!" Lector shot Flare a grin. "Thanks! That's an amazing ability!"

A slight blush tinted Flare's cheeks. "My hair is my pride."

"It should be! This is awesome! Let's go, then!"

"Oi, Uncle!" the two heard as they closed the final bit of distance between them and the dragon. "I don't think he's here. I think he gave us the slip again."

The dragon let out a groan. "Zirconis always was good at sneaking away like a salamander!"

"Hey!" a pink haired man protested, circling around the dragon's far side and into view. "I resent that! And you don't have any room to talk – or have you forgotten about the flour mill earlier?!"

"Bahahahaha!" Letting out a booming laugh, the dragon swiveled his head to face Natsu. "All in good fun, my boy!"

"It wasn't! It took forever to get that fire under control!"

Lector peered at the human arguing with the dragon. "Is that… Natsu-san?"

The cat's voice was enough to draw the attention of the Dragon Slayer to the pair. "Oh, hey! It's Sting's cat! And Flare!" He waved vigorously. "Glad to see you two are okay!"

"Yes!" Lector returned enthusiastically. "Flare-san and I are looking for Sting-kun and your guild mate!"

Natsu brightened briefly at their mention. "Sting and Lucy, huh? Sorry, I haven't seen them in a while. Last I heard, Sting was in the main area over there." With a vague gesture towards the courtyard, he continued, "But that was a while ago and I heard it from Gray, so…"

"We'll keep looking, then." Then Lector glanced up at Flare. While Natsu and Lector were chatting, she had become locked in an unblinking stare with the burning dragon.

"Who… are you?" the creature suddenly inquired, its voice like magma scraping against rock. "You smell… familiar to me, somehow. I'm quite impressed you're able to withstand my presence, human! Tell me, how are you able to do so without repercussion?"

Flare swallowed thickly. "I-It's me," she stated. "F-Flare. Corona"

It tilted its head. "Flare? Corona?" the dragon questioned, testing the names. "Hmm… whoever gave you that name has great taste. It suits you, with that hair."

"It was you who gave it to me, Eternal Flame. Both my name, and my hair. They are my pride and my joy."

The dragon was silent for a long moment. "…Hah?" it finally stated, completely perplexed. "I think I should remember giving a human a name! And since when can a Hellfire dragon gift  _hair_  of all things to anyone?"

"You… you don't remember me?" Flare asked, her voice weak. All of the fire seemed to go out in her. "I see…"

Natsu glanced back and forth between them, his eyes like saucers. "Wait, what? What's going on? You know Uncle, Flare?"

She nodded tentatively. "He named me… and presides over the village I come from. Sun Village – home of the Giants. I… I even received my hair magic from him." With a sniffle, she bit her lip. "It's fine if he doesn't remember me. Eternal Flame, I'm sorry for having bothered you. I just haven't seen you in so long and I…"

"Wait, wait! Hold on a minute!" Natsu shouted, startling the redhead. "You  _know_  Uncle?!" When Flare gave him a confused look, he clarified, "I mean… from recently?"

"It's been a few years since I left Sun Village, I'm afraid." Really, she didn't blame the dragon for forgetting. What was handful of years spent with her to centuries of existence without?

"No! From within the last four hundred years!"

Flare and Lector alike stared at the Fairy Tail Mage. "I think he hit his head," Lector commented, to which Flare nodded.

Natsu let out a squawk. "I did not hit my head!"

"To be fair, boy… you did," the dragon reminded him. "When that building exploded beneath me."

"That's your fault for landing on a mill!" Natsu screeched. "I got sent sailing!"

"Still hit your head."

"Your fault! Take responsibility!"

It was definitely an odd sight, but somehow the burning, skeletal dragon managed something an approximation of a shrug. "So what point were you trying to make, my boy?"

Pausing, Natsu suddenly grinned. "Flare – you're absolutely sure you were raised by Uncle, here?"

Extremely confused, Flare nodded. "I was."

"No wonder I thought Flare smelled familiar a while ago! Uncle… it means you're alive," the Fire Dragon Slayer told him. "And not just that… you have a daughter. And she came to meet you!"

Atlas Flame stood there, stunned. "I… Future me… has a daughter? I have a daughter?" he said faintly.

Flare's cheeks burned. "You… you never called me such!" she blurted out. "You don't have to call me that!" Oh gods, what would she do if he did? Her heart couldn't take that! "I-I never needed a title for it! I always knew you cared, even without it! You don't have to call me that!"

His face screwed up, Natsu peered at Flare. "But that's what you are, right? If you were given your power by him… and if he gave you your name… that makes you Uncle's kid. Wait… are you a Dragon Slayer, too?!" Natsu gaped. "No, more importantly, does this make you my  _cousin?!"_

The woman's face went slack. "What?"

Natsu pointed at himself. "I'm Igneel's son!" he proclaimed excitedly. "Uncle is Dad's best friend, which makes him my Uncle! And you're his daughter!" Then he gestured between the two of them. "We're cousins!"

"I… I have a daughter," Atlas Flame muttered again, not fully processing any of this. Then he burst out into raucous laughter. "I have a daughter!" he shouted, and suddenly a pillar of flame erupted from his body, soaring high into the sky. "Flare Corona!"

Fat, limpid tears fell from Flare's eyes. "I missed you!" she told him. "I missed you, Dad!" The new word was foreign on her tongue, but it made her heart swell with joy. As if it were trying to join the column of fire and dance with the sparks along the wind.

With a leap forward, Natsu practically tackled Flare. "I didn't think I'd find family here!" Water ran down his face, and he buried his head in her crimson locks. "I'm so sorry about your hair, from before! But I'm so glad you're here!"

Flare shook in his embrace. "It's fine! I deserved it!" When she had come to Crocus with Raven Tail, she had long since lost hope of leaving them. Then she found Blondie, who believed in her and showed her that kindness could be found in humanity. Now she was reunited with the Eternal Flame, as well!

She had human family. Flare had not dreamed it was possible – that there was someone out in the wide world whom she could call kin.

Though the temperature was skyrocketing all around them, and Lector was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the searing heat even with Flare's protection, he did not speak up. Instead, the russet-furred Exceed remained silent, in order to give this family made of fire their piece of home they'd found amongst Crocus' devastation.

* * *

_**All The Wonder Written On Your Face  
Was There Inside Me** _

_**-Chris Brown feat Ariana Grande "Don't Be Gone Too Long"** _

* * *

An awkward cough across the room caught the newfound family's attention, reminding them that they were not in fact alone in the room. With reluctance, Lucy pulled back from Wendy and Cobra. Glancing over at the cause of the disturbance, she waited patiently for Doranbolt to do something other than shift uncomfortably in place.

The Council Mage may not have understood what exactly was going on between the three in front of him, but it seemed like none of his business to be honest. It wasn't up to him to dictate what Lucy and Wendy did with their lives or who they came to care for. Tenrou had taught him that important lesson. Sometimes you just couldn't help connecting, regardless of the other person's affiliations or past choices.

However… Cobra  _was_ his responsibility. Although Doranbolt could admit to the fact that there were problems going on much larger than the need to keep one person incarcerated, he couldn't just let it go, either. To do so would be an insult to the justice that he only recently reclaimed. Not to mention to his friend, who had fought so hard to bring him back to himself again.

Much to Doranbolt's frustration, it was clear that Cobra understood.

"If you're going to cuff me, I would suggest doing it now while I'm in a pleasant mood," Cobra informed him bluntly.

The offer decided the matter in a different direction that Doranbolt had anticipated. Groaning, he swiped a hand down his face. "Whatever. It's not like you're going anywhere with those injuries."

"I wouldn't let him leave this bed until he's fully healed, anyway," Wendy said, crawling back onto the mattress.

Lucy took the opportunity to pass out their bowls of broth, having cooled where she'd left them on the nightstand. "Sorry, guys... it looks like these aren't very warm anymore."

Wendy's eyes lit up at the sight of food. "That's fine! Thank you, Lucy-nee!"

"Thanks, Twerp," Cobra told her.

Softly smiling at the pair of Dragon Slayers, Lucy replied, "You're welcome, both of you." She sat on the edge of the bed, beside Cobra.

"At this point, I think we've got other issues than you, Cobra," Doranbolt continued as if the interruption hadn't occurred. It felt awfully like he was breaking the rules again. Rules he desperately desired in the chaos all around. But honestly, what would it matter right now?

Cobra snorted. "Once a Fairy Tail Mage, always a Fairy Tail Mage," he sneered at the other man.

Doranbolt gave him a confused look, not understanding exactly what Cobra was getting at.

"Whoa, you were in Fairy Tail, man?" Sting asked. "My condolences."

"Hey!" Lucy and Wendy protested together. "There's nothing wrong with being in Fairy Tail!"

"There's everything wrong with that," replied Cobra. "The sheer destruction you lot cause, for example. Even we dark guilds were aware of it. And wondering when you would get the boot from the Magic Council and join our ranks. I swear at least half our meetings were solely about whether to just crush the lot of you, or who would have the unpleasant task of overseeing you. Most of us were in favor of crushing, to be honest. You would be a pain to try to manage." The girls flinched, unable to deny that particular accusation.

Shrugging, Doranbolt ignored the pair's assertion as to the integrity of their guild and Cobra's disparagement of the same. He clarified for the Sabertooth Mages, "Not for long. I was a spy, actually."

' _That's truer than you even realize,'_ Cobra thought.  _'And what kind of moron erases his own memories?'_  However, he kept those thoughts to himself for now. He'd keep them safe for a more advantageous time to unveil them. Why waste good information when he could conceivably get something worthwhile out of it later? Cobra was by no means a fool. And he didn't particularly like or care for Mest. Although… he could definitely see the merit in being able to erase one's memories, but he couldn't wrap his head around Mest disposing of his happy ones so easily. The Oracion Seis had done literally everything within their power to cling to their few, precious happy memories - even going so far as to try to destroy time's continuity. Why would anyone ever throw away their own happiness, when some people had struggled so hard just hold onto the scant ones they already had? Yet another reason to dislike the Direct Line Mage - as far as the Dragon Slayer was concerned – and hold this against him.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Doranbolt asked, a little unnerved by the cruel smile adorning Cobra's face. The dark-skinned man seemed liable to rip him apart at the joints. With the only reason he hadn't done so yet, being that he hadn't quite the mobility to make that happen at this precise moment.

"Your idiocy amuses me," Cobra candidly quipped. There was one thing Doranbolt was right about, though – there were other goings on that they needed to be concerned about. "But moving on. What are we going to do about the two-tone bastard?"

That immediately sobered everyone present.

Mest and Lucy exchanged a glance, already formulating how they would explain their worries. Sorrow laced Wendy's soul, her eyes downcast towards her feet beneath the comforter. It was as if someone had cleaved a hole through her soul... though to be fair, Cobra acknowledged, most everyone's souls had that characteristic right now. Images of Future Lucy flashed through her mind as she silently grieved. She reached out a hand over Cobra to grasp at Lucy's shirt hem. The Celestial Mage smiled softly, covering the small digits with her own hand. The simple action was enough to lift Wendy's spirits, and the little mage looked up at the woman she adored with a wavering smile upon her face as well.

Sting and Rogue, however, were staring straight back at Cobra. Their gazes were steady, and unblinking.

The Poison Dragon Slayer raised an eyebrow at his Shadow and Light counterparts. "What?"

"Thank you," Rogue suddenly stated, breaking the silence that had befallen the mages. "For not… for not calling him Future Rogue." Pain suffused his words; deep did his counterpart's actions puncture Rogue's soul.

Lucy inhaled sharply through her teeth and then bit her lip at Rogue's words. In response, Wendy released the Celestial Mage's shirt and instead intertwined her fingers with Lucy's. Her honorary sister clung to the small comfort with all that she had.

Cobra inclined his head in acknowledgement of Rogue's statement, and of his inner turmoil. "I don't think we should wait to gather the others you wanted to, Twerp." The Dragon Slayer turned slightly to better view Lucy, whose face had gone ashen. "Especially not that vapid little princess. Something about this whole thing doesn't sit right with me," he growled. "Then again, I do have a number of questions for the mastermind behind all of this." Cobra glanced briefly at Doranbolt. "Mest," he addressed him, "You should go locate your friend for now. Fullbuster hasn't found the girl yet, but he should before long."

"I'm off, then." Mest disappeared with no further ado.

Lucy nodded to herself. "I guess the rest of us should get prepared for their arrival. Gray will probably bring Hisui up to speed once he finds her – and I trust Mest will do the same with Lahar. So I should explain what's going on to you."

"I'll finish healing you all in the meantime!" Wendy released Lucy's hand and lifted her tray off her lap and set it aside. Then she raised both of her hands, the appendages hovering over Cobra's bare chest without touching it.

"No overexerting yourself!" barked the older Dragon Slayer, keeping a close eye - or rather, ear - on her magical reserves.

Wendy giggled, her face flushing slightly at the overprotective tone the once terrifying Dragon Slayer had adopted towards her. "Trust me – I feel much better after sleeping and getting some of that broth in my stomach!" It had only been a scant couple of spoonfuls, but to be honest she wasn't certain her stomach was up for more than that.

Still biting her lip, Lucy mused aloud, "Just where do I begin?" She nearly groaned. How was she to explain this, precisely? Lucy would love to ask Crux's advice on all of this, too. Should she summon him now?

On Rogue's bed, a tiny form stirred. "Rogue-kun?" Pink, costumed head raised, Frosch glanced around blearily for her partner.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer immediately reached for the sleepy Exceed. "Frosch," he stated softly. Obediently, she crawled off his lap and into his arms. She pressed her head into his shoulder a let out a purr. Rogue's eyes softened, and he gently rubbed the back of her head.

"Fro dreamt bad things," Frosch mumbled.

"We all did," Rogue told her. "But it's better now."

"Fro thinks so, too!"

Guilt stabbed through Lucy's heart as she watched the Dragon Slayer and Exceed interact. This person wasn't evil. He wasn't out to destroy anyone or anything. All Rogue wanted was to keep his precious people safe and close.

So why was she still so afraid of the sight of him?

Sting also looked at Rogue and Frosch sadly, but for different reasons.  _'I wonder where Lector is. Shouldn't he be here by now?'_ Sting thought.

"He's stuck in a hug sandwich between the Salamander, the Hellfire dragon, and your friend with the freaky hair," Cobra informed the room suddenly.

"Oh, thanks!" Sting replied happily, much to the confusion of everyone else in the room.

Rogue shot Sting a strange look, and set Frosch down on the edge of the bed.

Gathering her courage, Lucy approached the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Silently, Rogue watched as she came closer. She paused next to the bed, and then suddenly crouched down until she was eye-level with Frosch.

"Hello," Lucy greeted the cat softly. "I don't think we've met yet. I'm Lucy." She held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Frosch blinked her large eyes at the Celestial Mage, and her face broke out into a grin. "I'm Fro!" she announced, tapping her costumed paw on Lucy's hand.

Lucy smiled at her. "Thank you, Fro."

"Her name is Frosch, actually." Lucy glanced up at Rogue without pausing to think about it – forgetting for the moment who was speaking to her, so warm was his tone. His eyes, too, were full of kindness as she stared at him. It was barely a quirk of his lips, but he was smiling.

He looked nothing like Future Rogue.

"I hate to interrupt this heartwarming moment," Cobra stated bluntly, "but you might want to start on that explanation soon. I hear Fullbuster coming with the girl." Cobra didn't mention that he couldn't hear the soul of the woman standing beside the Ice Make Mage. There was definitely something wrong with that. She wasn't strong enough to block him out, like Brain once had. Unless she was utilizing an object to obscure her power level somehow, along with her soul. That seemed much more likely to him. It wasn't completely unheard of for some relics to block out soul abilities, such as Soul Listening. As royalty, it wouldn't exactly be incomprehensible for Hisui to have such a thing on her person for security reasons.

But Cobra still didn't like it. It set him on edge. He'd come to rely upon his magic in order to get a proper read on someone. It looked as if he would require his Dragon Slayer abilities to aid him with the princesses' interrogation, if one did indeed come to pass.

Or he could just be paranoid. Somehow, he doubted that was a true problem. His instincts had kept him alive on numerous occasions – including the night he'd just survived.

"Hold on; it looks like you'll have a little more time before the princess gets here," Cobra said, closing his eye and attuning himself to Gray's soul frequency while simultaneously blocking out the others. This was the same trick he'd used to survive the Tower with Cubelios. "A knight just detained them – one in white armor."

"Arcadios?" Lucy asked, rising to her feet. She returned to his bedside, while forming a picture of the man within her mind for Cobra.

Briefly stretching his awareness to the blonde, he compared the image with the one his magic was picking up from the other Fairy Tail Mage. "Yeah, that's him." Odd. Cobra couldn't hear him, either.

Oh, he definitely had questions for the green-haired wench now.

"Gray sent them on ahead of him," he finally informed Lucy. "They'll be here in about ten minutes, give or take." Suddenly, he stiffened, and his indigo eye widened in alarm. "Wendy, stop," Cobra ordered, using the girl's name aloud for the first time.

Startled, the Sky Dragon Slayer's hands ceased their healing glow. "What's wrong?"

"Cobra?" Lucy questioned.

"Twerp, what do you need to know the most from the Time Mage? Say it now. Hurry."

"What's going on? Why do you need them right now? Did Gray find her-"

"Lucy, there is no time," Cobra hissed.

"Wh-"

"She's dying."

* * *

 _**Bring It Back To Me** _  
_**Bring It Back To Me** _  
_**Is It Really Over?** _

_**-Chris Brown feat Ariana Grande "Don't Be Gone Too Long"** _


	10. To Carry Fate

_**We Didn't Talk Much  
And Still I Was Gone, Gone** _

_**-tyDi feat. Jennifer Rene "Carry You"** _

* * *

_"Don't go after Rogue, Ultear."_

The Time Mage gritted her teeth as she raced through the corridors of rubble that now made up the once flourishing city of Crocus. High above, the bloody moon cast its baleful eye over the world below – a disdainful god of destruction, come to watch the slaughter. And a slaughter it would become, thanks to the Shadow Dragon Slayer's future self.

_"It's not like that!"_

Of course it was! What else could it be?! There were dragons roaring all around; the world was bathed in the ruddy light of a tainted moon. Everywhere the little dragons screeched and people screamed. She desperately hoped that Meredy wasn't among them. They'd lost track of each other soon after the initial attack. Her daughter was out there somewhere; fighting for her life, and the future of humanity and Fiore itself.

_"The future Rogue lost his way at some point."_

This was a little more than losing your way! Ultear knew better than anyone what it meant to lose sight of the path and wander in the darkness. This landscape all around her was naught but death, with despair on the wind. Familiar and almost comforting, as if it were a caress from her long-gone mother. It called to a part of her soul that she thought she'd long since sealed away.

Yes, Ultear knew this place.

It was hell.

_"He's not the same as the present Rogue."_

Not  _yet_  he wasn't. He  _would_  be. That was how time worked, after all. A linear march, moving ever forward to a predictable rhythm and beat.

Though now that tune was muddled and broken. Mutable.

If she killed the present Rogue, it would all unravel. Time would settle back into its established pattern and calamity would be averted.

_"This era's Rogue hasn't done anything wrong."_

"He must be eliminated!" she hissed, her gut churning in anger and sorrow. "He can't be allowed to become what I did!" The world that she had once envisioned when she was at her darkest was not one that should ever become reality. Gray had shown her that.

Gray. Her little brother in all but name. Lyon. Jellal. Meredy.

Ultear wanted a world for them free of pain and suffering. Free from the corrupting influence of Zeref's black magic. A world without dragons and their would-be-king – the false Slayer, who had chosen to turn against his purpose and rule over dragons rather than slaughter them.

He had to die. Because there were people she wanted to live. It was that simple.

_"The idea of killing him…"_

Natsu's words were difficult to shake off, but Ultear was determined. She couldn't waver in her conviction. Not in the slightest, or she would falter and fall.

Instinct had her twist abruptly to one side, a blast of energy hurtling past her. Straight through where she would have been if she'd kept going on her intended path.

"Flash Forward!" she shouted, her lacrima streaking through the air. A barrage of hits landed against the creature that had dared to attack her. With a final shriek, it crumbled and the lacrima returned to Ultear.

Cautiously, Ultear stepped forward to inspect the remains of the thing. She prodded the rubble with her toe. No reaction. It was as if it had become just another part of the rubble around her. Were these things not actually organic in nature? Were they merely rock fueled by magic and infused with a purpose by their creator dragon?

Could her magic affect them directly?

Experimentally, she threaded the thing's time back together. At first, nothing happened. Then the pieces began to tremble and inched closer together. Ultear cut off the flow of her magic and the movement ceased. It seemed that she could influence these things with the Arc of Time after all.

But what could she possibly do alone, even with this ability?

_"Are you trying to set us on the wrong path, too?"_

All the pent-up hatred and self-loathing was rising to the surface of her soul. Natsu had been right, hadn't he? What was she trying to do? Killing Rogue… could she do to him what she had done to this abomination? Could she slay the Slayer, spill his blood across the flagstones and bathe her hands in his crimson lifeblood? Could she do it for Jellal to have a chance at his own redemption, even if it meant sacrificing her own? For Gray and Lyon's sakes? Or the world Ur loved?

For Meredy? Her beloved, beautiful daughter who deserved so much more than the life Ultear had forged in death and blood?

Now her own limbs trembled violently.

It wasn't a question if she wanted to or not, she told herself. She  _had_  to do it. Rogue had to die, so that her beloved people could live. So they could have shot at happiness.

Ultear could turn herself into a monster for them.

This wasn't selfishness.  _It was survival._

If there was one thing the Time Witch, the former leader of the Seven Kin of Purgatory, was skilled at, it was at being the one to survive. No matter what was thrown her way.

All that was left was to locate the Shadow Dragon Slayer's past, far weaker self. But how, exactly, was the crux of the matter. Methods of doing such were limited by the current terrain and incursions of monsters. Cursing under her breath, Ultear swiftly assessed her options. It wasn't as simple as finding him based on where the dragons were making a ruckus. There were seven of the beasts around after all, and Ultear couldn't afford to waste time and energy on sheer guesswork. Not to mention the likelihood that she ran the chance of encountering the same dragon more than once as she doubted their battles with the Dragon Slayers would remain confined to a single locale. A systematic grid search of the area was too time consuming as well, so it was quickly discarded. Nor was a random search a viable option.

There was no helping it then – Ultear would have to get above the action. This way, she would have the layout of the changed landscape. Get high enough and she might even be able to see all of the dragons at once. Then she need only observe which elemental magic was being used against which dragon. Yes, ascending above the general conflict would greatly narrow her hunt.

Ultear moved away from the corpse of the little dragon. With greater caution than before, she surveyed her immediate surroundings. She overlaid her mental map of the city before the dragon invasion with what she was currently seeing.  _'Where were the tallest buildings before all this…'_

In the distance, she spotted a single spire rising towards the sky, far above the tops of its surrounding architecture. The belfry! Of course; it was an ideal location. The bell itself could provide some sort of cover if the need arose. However… she would be effectively trapped up there as well.

It was a risk she would have to take.

A silvery snout poked around the corner of a building ahead of her. Cursing under her breath, Ultear decomposed the chain holding a large iron-wrought ornamental sign above the creature. The sign, free to succumb to gravity, plummeted towards the little dragon, impaling and pinning it to the ground. It let out a screech and ceased its movements.

Magic was not the only thing that could end them, then.

Good to know.

She took off down the path once more, searching for the path to the belfry. It continuously eluded her, as roves of the small dragons stalked the streets of Crocus – hunting anything that dared move. Flames from the dragons bathed the city. Even then, Crocus was not a city whose layout was familiar to Ultear, nor was it easy to intuit with its many winding streets and dead-end alleyways. The aerial viewpoint of the one map Ultear had seen was of little use to her now. That she had been able to find the palace and reach Natsu in time was more due to how large and obvious Mercurius was than by virtue of Ultear's memory. All of the rubble strewn about the city only made navigation that much more difficult, too.

A flash of blue and red caught her eye as she ran past what she thought might have once been a side street, but it was now fully open to the air with all the buildings lining it destroyed. Her feet slowed to a halt, and she turned back.

Sure enough, in the middle of the open space stood Jellal, and Erza.

And someone else. A woman with cat ears and a long tail.

"How could you ever defend a monster like him?!" the woman shouted, her voice strained. "You know what he did! He killed Simon, in cold blood! He hurt you!"

"I've forgiven him." Erza's level response seemed to infuriate the other woman even more. "And you should too, Millianna."

Ultear flinched at those words. Erza had no right to demand that of anyone. If there was one thing that she'd learned over the past seven years, it was that forgiveness was not something that could be demanded, nor should it be. All that would do is kick up the dust of enmity and bitterness. Forgiveness was something to be earned, after all. Forcing it only led to pain.

"Erza," Jellal said quietly, his shoulders slumped in resignation and his eyes downcast. "You don't have to defend my actions."

Guilt lanced through Ultear's heart. She'd spent so much time watching the man beat himself up over this very issue. Simon was Jellal's greatest and deepest regret, even over the suffering and torture he'd inflicted on Erza. It had left a scar in him that would never fully heal over. And at the end of the day… it was ultimately Ultear's fault that it had ever happened in the first place.

So she stepped out of the shadows, drawing the gathering's attention. "You're wrong about Jellal," Ultear stated. "He didn't kill Simon. Or at least… it wasn't entirely his fault."

Jellal's gaze turned hard, and he fixated it on Ultear. "Ultear," he warned, his voice low.

She ignored him, forging ahead with her confession. "I'm the one you should blame. I put a compulsion spell over Jellal years before and manipulated his every move. So really… I'm the one responsible for Simon's death. Me, and no one else."

Confusion stole over Millianna's face, the poor woman uncertain how to handle this new information. But after a moment, she furiously shook her head and glared Ultear down. "You're lying!" she snarled. "You're just trying to protect him, too! I won't fall for it!"

"Millianna…" Erza said softly. "She's…" Falling silent, Erza gazed on helplessly between the pair. Stuck in her unwillingness to foist all the blame onto Ultear and her instinctive protectiveness towards Jellal.

Jellal said nothing, unable to look any of the women in the eye.

He wasn't going to defend Ultear in return, that much was crystal clear to the Time Mage. It wasn't a surprise – in fact, she'd banked on it – but what was surprising was how deeply his silence cut her. But it was better this way, when all was said and done. This way, she could shoulder the blame that rightfully belonged to her, and resolve some of her sins while alleviating Jellal's.

Her will accomplished, Ultear spun on her heels to depart. Unable to look behind her to see their reactions, she strode away with determination. Vaguely, she heard Erza talking, but she closed her ears to whatever the Requip Mage had to say about her. She didn't need to hear it, didn't  _want_  to.

When she was out of earshot, she crumpled – collapsing onto the rubble, a puppet with her strings cut. Her chest was tight, and her heart was racing with her breath coming in short bursts. Sweat slid down her face and the world swam before her vision.

_She had been going to kill Rogue._

The fact hit her harder than she thought possible, in the core of her being. It had taken her admission to her culpability in Simon's death to bring her to the realization that she had been about to take away the life of an innocent person. Again. Just like she had, time and time again throughout her life.

Redemption was nothing but a pipe dream for a monster like her. Here she was – poised to commit the same sins she'd been trying to repent for all this time. What kind of person was she, to justify it as if she were some sort of savior? A person without blood on their hands, forced into making a terrible decision?

What would Meredy think of her, now? With her hands soaking in blood once more? How could she face her daughter; the daughter whose parents she'd stolen?

Ultear would never be able to atone for anything. The truth of that seared away her willpower, her strength. She was just a monster, after all. Not worth saving, not capable of saving others. Only capable of killing.

The eerie, strained trills of the little dragons warbled in the air nearby.

Some instinct for self-preservation, buried deep inside of Ultear, took hold of her. She found herself standing up, and then stumbling forward towards a building that stood mostly intact. Entering, Ultear ran a hand along the railing of the staircase as she took the steps two at time.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she unbolted the trapdoor. With an upward shove, the hatch flew open. Her way now clear, Ultear hauled herself up and through the opening. On her hands and knees, she closed the trapdoor again behind her. Then she stood cautiously.

Horror coursed swift and icy through her veins as the world below came into view. Her gaze traveled far across the city, raking in the nightmare Crocus had become.

The situation was far worse than she'd thought previously. The initial rush to meet the dragons head on had split the once large gathering of mages into smaller, yet still sizeable factions. But then had come the ever increasing, oncoming waves of the little dragons, breaking them apart into much tinier groups and spreading them haphazardly across the city. With every new incursion dropped by Mother Glare soaring high in the bloodied, star-studded sky, the mages were further scattered. Harried and pressed, the humans were proving no contest as the little dragons surrounded them at their leisure.

It was a complete and utter rout.

Not even an hour had passed since the dragons were summoned through the gate!

Fires had also begun to spread rapidly in one district, ravaging everything that stood in their way and leaving only ashes and scorched stone in their wake. As if they had a mind of their own, they raced towards a group of mages fending off what could only be described as a  _horde_  of the little dragons. With bone chilling recognition, she spotted blue and red hair.

' _No!'_  Ultear reached out her hand to the fleeing mages. Magic sang in her soul, replacing her fear as it pulsed under skin. She directed her gaze to the remains of a wall they would soon be past. Focusing on it, she tried to find the paths it had carved through time, searching for the frayed strings she could use to pull it together again. Finding them, Ultear grasped them with her magic.

She had once torn apart one of the greatest buildings on continent, the structure collapsing all about her as she laughed. Not a single bead of sweat had broken out upon her skin in performance of the heinous act.

But that had been seven years ago, and since that time, she'd become so much stronger.

"Rewind!" she shouted.

Light flashed, her magic stretching out before her.  _'Please reach!'_  she pleaded with herself.  _'Please be enough!'_

It was.

The little dragons crashed into the wall, some breaking apart with the force of their charge while a couple of survivors stumbled away, dazed from the sudden impact.

Something sparked inside of Ultear, then. A feeling she had never felt before. It wasn't the power of magic singing throughout her veins – that was one she knew well. But this… this was something else entirely.

It was as if something inside of her had solidified, become concrete.

The certainty that she could make a difference. That she could save people after all.

She raised her hands, and at her command the city rose and fell, cutting off the little dragons, opening up escapes for the battling mages, and suffocating the fires wherever they tried to grab hold. Time unwound in Crocus, madly spinning out of control.

Ultear had never felt so alive as she did right then, so sure of herself and the path forming before her.

She would save them all, even if she used up every last drop of herself in the process.

* * *

_**We Sat In The Dark And Cold Place** _

_**-tyDi feat. Jennifer Rene "Carry You"** _

* * *

Ultear became aware of pain before anything else. Lancing through her skull, throbbing all over her body. A single inhale set her ribs to protesting the movement, and she coughed and choked, dust lining the back of her throat. Lying prone against something hard, she opened her eyes a fraction, only to find that one of the them wouldn't. Swiftly, she closed the other one again, the light filtering into it only increasing the intensity of her headache. Groaning, she tried to push herself into an upright position.

A scream ripped through her, agony flashing through her left arm like lightning. Her entire existence narrowed to the jagged edged pain coming from her arm, the totality of her being now focused solely to her left limb. All sense of time vanished, until the agony began to subside to a slightly less intense throbbing. Ultear forced her one cooperating eye to open. It took her several moments to recognize the thing lying at her side, twisted into too-many angles and encrusted with mortar dust, as her own flesh, and yet more to distinguish  _the thing_  protruding from the middle of it as  _bone_.

Stomach churning madly, Ultear forced her gaze away. But the new view wasn't much better. All around her lay the rubble from the fallen tower from which she'd fought to save people. Shoulder-checked by one of the rampaging dragons, she now recalled. Her magic had been too spent to rescue herself from the ensuing fall. It must have knocked her unconscious.

Taking immense care to keep her arm immobilized, she pulled her legs to her to push herself to a standing position.

Or tried to. Her legs refused to move. Something ripped in her right leg, black spots from the resulting pain dancing around Ultear's vision. The sensation of something warm and wet sliding down the limb was vaguely registered. Careful not to move her broken arm, she peered down herself, and spotted the reason her legs had not responded to her earlier demand for movement.

A large chunk of concrete, rebar protruding from all angles, lay on top of her left leg. From her right protruded more rusty rebar, blood welling around the wound.

With horror, Ultear realized that she was completely trapped. So long as what pinned her legs remained, she was stuck in place – at the mercy of any still roaming monsters. Pain was something she'd long since grown used to; the experiments of her youth had seen to that. Now that the initial shock was over, Ultear fought her way through it. She ignored new twinges of distress from her midsection as she levered herself up as best as she could with her limited options.

Her hand grasped the rebar perforating her leg, searching for the current of her magic within her soul to break down the object from below its entry point to her flesh. She knew that if she completely disintegrated the thing while it still remain in her, there was a high chance of her bleeding out in minutes. For now the blood flow was mostly stemmed. Once she was freed from the ground, however, then she could do something about her other leg and seek out medical attention.

But her magic did not answer her call.

Again, she dredged her veins for it. Again, she found her magical container emptied. Drained completely from overuse, and any more ethernano she was absorbing being relegated to her body's recovery.

The burning sensation around her middle became too great, and she released the rebar, falling back into her previous position. She panted, but that only made it worse. Raising her hand, stained orange with rust, she drew back the tattered edges of her outfit, peeling it from her skin and smearing rust residue across it.

Dark purple bruising spread up her ribs.

Ultear closed her eyes and dropped her hand. A wave of dizziness accompanied cold certainty over her condition.

She wasn't going to survive this. It was a miracle she had thus far, though she hesitated to call her torture such.

Exhaustion consumed her as she lay there, unmoving with the summer sun beating down upon her. Not even the groaning of the concrete block on her leg shifting from gravity's influence stirred her to action.

So this was it, then. This was how her life was to end.

Somehow, it wasn't too bad of a way to go out. Ultear had saved so many lives over the course of the battle, or so she dearly hoped. She had no way of knowing how they had fared once she'd fallen. But surely some had survived, thanks to her actions. It was a small comfort, this small recompense to her great and many sins. Human lives could not be exchanged for one another, she knew. It was part of why redemption had always felt so far away from her grasp. Saving one could not return life to another. But it was something. It was something.

Ultear wasn't sure how long she lay there, in the ruins of Crocus. Her head was burning, and cold sweats shook her form. Shock, and possibly fever, she believed. It wouldn't be long, now.

A shadow fell over her closed eyes, chilling her further as warmth fled her body. Presuming it to be from a cloud, she paid it no mind. Then she heard footsteps, shuffling and clicking against the stone.

She opened her eyes, darkness clutching the edges of her vision and halos of haziness warping it further. In spite of this unreliableness, she turned her head to the side in search of the source of the sound.

Breath froze in her lungs, and her chest tightened at the sight that greeted her.

In the shadow of a wall that hadn't fully collapsed stood a figure. It resembled a human, but only in the most superficial of ways. There was something…  _other_  about it, an existential dread at its sheer  _wrongness_  rising in Ultear like the tide, unstoppable. Her instincts screamed at her, railing against its mere presence.

A grinning, fanged skull sat atop its shoulders, instead of a head. Two horns rose from it, twisting as they punctured the air. Its empty eye sockets were fixed in her direction, and Ultear knew with incomprehensible certainty that they were staring directly at her. Dark clothing covered its body, claws of white bone protruding where its feet should have been, and identical claws peeked from the sleeves of the loose clothes.

Whispers and legends and childhood tales swam through Ultear's mind, providing a name for the entity she was locking in a staring contest with.

_Death._

Death had come for her.

Panic welled up in her, all her previous resolve fleeing in the face of Death himself. Her friends… her daughter… her amends… there was still so much she wanted to do, to see, people to meet. She had spent so much of her life either committing atrocities and consumed by the desire to right them that she had yet to actually live her life.

In that short moment between them, the numbness was chased away into the dark, and Ultear was left as she really was – a broken woman, battered and bruised beyond salvation, and overwhelmed with regret.

"I don't want to die!" Ultear found herself confessing in a violent expulsion of feeling. Tears welled in her eyes, and when they began to fall they left muddy tracks down her cheeks, carving through the grime coating them. "I-I h-h-haven't even beg-gun to make u-up f-for e-e-e-very-thing I've d-done. M-Meredy. M-my d-d-daughter. I c-can't leave her! I p-promis-s-sed I wou-wouldn't! I promised!" She gasped and choked for air, snot running from her nose to join her tears. "Jellal, t-too. He's… he's so h-hopeless. C-can't e-ven tell the girl…" Ultear swallowed thickly, and took a deep breath to help steady her voice. "Can't even t-tell her that he l-loves her. And Gray… and Lyon. They're… they're all… all I have left of my mother. P-please don't take me from them!" Despite the violent, screaming protests from her broken arm, and her bruised torso, she struggled to push herself a little higher. "And I'm scared!" she wailed. "I'm so scared! I didn't want it all to end this way! But I… I couldn't kill him! I couldn't bring myself to kill Rogue! I'm so sorry!  _I'm so sorry!"_

But Death just stood there, implacable and devoid of expression.

Ultear slumped back against the rubble, her little remaining strength already spent. The only sound between them was Ultear's labored breathing, and restrained sobs. Everything hurt. Her chest. Her arm. She couldn't feel her crushed leg anymore. Somehow, the Time Mage didn't think that was a good thing.

Then Death moved, finally. He stepped towards her slowly, cautiously – as if she would (or even  _could_ ) lash out at him. Coming to a stop beside her, he paused for a moment, and then knelt down in the rubble beside her. A bony hand, bleary and pale to Ultear's gaze, reached towards her. Death's clawed fingertips brushed Ultear's unbroken arm, cold as the grave to her feverish skin. She shivered and shuddered under the touch. Death's horned skull turned to the side, empty voids regarding her leg.

No, they were not quite vacant, Ultear groggily realized. There was a flicker of gold in their depths. Like the rising sun, liquid and bright. To her exhausted soul, that spark of colour was a balm, and her crying quieted.

His attention turned next to the ripped cloth barely covering her midsection. The deep, dark purple bruises were met with the same calm impassivity as the rest of the woman's injuries had been.

"I'm scared. I don't want to die," she whispered, knowing not where the words came from. Her world was starting to go completely fuzzy-dark at the edges. "Please stay." Ultear begged Death, her good hand weakly outstretched towards him. It hung there between them – stained brown with dried blood and rust and dirt.

She wasn't certain what she had expected to happen, in reaching out to Death. What was the point? But why shouldn't she, regardless? What did she have left to lose? He was there to escort her, wasn't he?

_How kind of him._

Darkness pulled at her sight, and she let her hand fall.

A moment later, she felt the cool, smooth bones against her skin once more.

" _ **No one,"**_ a dry, grating voice rumbled in her mind, " _ **deserves to die alone, and in the dark. Rest, now.**_ "

A faint smile touched Ultear's lips, as her consciousness slid ever further into the slick darkness that crawled at her. Until finally, she couldn't hold onto herself any longer, and she knew no more.

* * *

 _**Just One Single Moment Spent With You** _  
_**I Lost My Space And Time**_

_**tyDi feat. Jennifer Rene - "Carry You"** _

* * *

_And Death held her hand._

* * *

_**Never Had A Chance To Find The Way** _   
_**But I'll Carry You With Me** _   
_**Carry You With Me, Here Tonight** _

_**-tyDi feat. Jennifer Rene "Carry You"** _


End file.
